Angels of the Trapeze: Sora and Layla
by heroes1202
Summary: The Circus Festival returns and Sora and Layla become partners again to compete. However, another team has a goal to ruin them before the festival even begins. Follows the series' end.
1. Ch 1: The Amazing Invitation

_**Angels of the Trapeze: Sora and Layla**_

_**Chapter 1: The Amazing Invitation**_

One day, the sun was just beginning to rise over the bay and the light soon reached Kaleido Stage. In her room, Sora was still fast asleep. The clock by her bed read 7:10 a.m. and Fool was already awake. He looked at Sora and then at the clock. He descended down to Sora's ear.

"Sora. Time to wake up now." Fool whispered. Sora didn't know it was Fool and lightly waved her hand mumbling "Not now mommy. It's...too early..." in her sleep.

"But Sora. Surely you don't want to oversleep." Fool whispered. This time, Sora grabbed Fool and threw him away. He hit the wall and slowly slid down it groaning.

"Fine. Be that way. Don't blame me for not waking you up." Fool said. Just then, Sora's door opened and in came Rosetta. She turned the lights on and entered Sora's bedroom.

"Sora! I'm here! Are you ready?" Rosetta said. Sora's eyes slowly opened and she looked at Rosetta.

"Oh. R...Rosetta? Why are...you here?" Sora said. She yawned.

"Sora. You said we could do some jogging this morning. I even made sure to wake up bright and early." Rosetta said. Sora gasped and looked outside.

"That's right! I almost forgot! Sorry Rosetta! Give me a minute to get ready." Sora said. Fool was completely stunned.

"Oh sure. Rosetta can wake you up, but when I try to, you swat me away like a fly." Fool muttered. After Sora changed into her jogging outfit, she and Rosetta went for a jog down by the beach. The sun was still rising and it lit up the beach. By the time the sun was completely shining, Sora and Rosetta laid down on the beach looking up at the sky.

"You doing all right Rosetta?" Sora asked. Rosetta looked at her and nodded. Both of them were catching their breath.

"Thanks again for agreeing to this Sora." Rosetta said. Sora smiled.

"It's my pleasure Rosetta. After all, that's what friends do for one another." Sora said. Rosetta looked up at the sky and saw a star shaped cloud. When Rosetta pointed it out, Sora could spot it too.

"That star? That's you Sora. You're a true Kaleido Star." Rosetta said. Sora looked at Rosetta.

"So are you...Rosetta. We both are." Sora said. Soon, the two started snickering and then it turned to laughing. Their laughing was heard all the way back to Kalos' office. He was watching them from his window. Just then, his phone rang.

"Hello? Oh. Hello Leon. Still training in France?" Kalos said. Kalos turned his gaze towards his phone.

"I see. So you want Sora? Well, don't worry. She's here. I'll make sure that Sora meets with you Leon. Where are you now?" Kalos asked. Later that day, Sora and Rosetta came back inside Kaleido Stage laughing still. Rosetta wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"That was a good run." Rosetta said.

"Yeah. I think I need a drink now." Sora said. Just then, Ken came by.

"Oh. There you are Sora. The boss wanted to see you as soon as possible." Ken said.

"Really? He wants to see me?" Sora said. When Sora went to Kalos' office, she was in for a big surprise.

"What?! Mr. Leon...wants ME to go to the Circus Festival in his place?!" Sora shouted. Leon was in Kalos' office with him.

"That's right. Just seeing you perform the Angel's Maneuver made me believe that you could truly win the Circus Festival." Leon said. He showed Sora the envelope containing the Phoenix Tickets that were for him and May.

"B...But Leon. I..." Sora said. She took the envelope and peeked inside.

"How did you get two tickets?" Sora asked.

"May and I found out that we both had gotten our tickets. So, when I told her that I wasn't interested in going to it, she decided to give the other to me." Leon said. Sora wondered what she would do with two tickets. But as she thought back at to what happened at the last festival, Sora's eyes began to fill with tears. She still felt ashamed that she dropped out during her performance.

"Sora? If you don't want to, I can find someone else to give the tickets to." Kalos said. Sora sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I might...need a little time to...think about it boss. Is it OK if I can hang onto them for the time being?" Sora asked.

"It is all right with me." Leon said. Outside, Anna, Mia, Marion and Rosetta heard everything. After their meeting was over, Sora's friends went to see Sarah.

"So Leon wants Sora to take his place at the festival?" Sarah said "Hmm."

"I really don't think Sora should go. Don't you guys remember what happened last time?" Anna said. Mia could still remember seeing Sora crying.

"If she goes back, she might end up crying again." Mia said. Just then, they heard a knock at the door and there was May.

"May?" Marion said.

"Hey. I heard from Leon that he gave the tickets to Sora. So, what did she decide? I can't find her to ask her." May said.

"Last I saw of Sora, she was heading for her room." Mia said. Meanwhile, in Sora's bedroom, Sora was looking at the envelope in her hand and sighed. Fool was watching her.

"What will you do...Sora?" Fool said. Sora groaned as she remembered what happened last time. Just then, May came in her room.

"Sora? Look. I know this might sound weird coming from me, but I think you really should give the festival one more try. Good thing that Leon and I decided to skip this year. Otherwise, you wouldn't be holding those tickets." May said. Sora sighed and she extended the arm with the envelope to May.

"Here May. Maybe you should go. Find someone who can be your partner and win again." Sora said. May chuckled.

"Sorry Sora. But like I said, I'm out of the festival. So, you're the one stuck with them this time." May said. Sora groaned and looked at the envelope. May sighed and tried to think of something. Just then, she got an idea.

"Listen. If you go to the festival, I promise...that I'll be your partner. Deal?" May said. Sora looked at May's hand and then at May. Outside her door, the others were watching.

"Darn it May. Why is she bothering Sora about that festival?" Anna said "Sora should...huh?" They couldn't believe what they were seeing. Sora and May shook hands.

"All right then May. If you promise, I'll give the festival another try." Sora said. May smiled and put her hand on her shoulder.

"Then we better decide on a routine." May said. Anna and Mia were just speechless and so was Rosetta. But they figured if Sora decided to try out for the festival again, they would support her. For the next few days, Sora and May worked on the Demon Spiral that May used last year. Sora's only problem was trying to catch May during practice. Every time they tried it, Sora would miss and May would fall into the net.

"Sorry May! I missed!" Sora called. They trained for an hour before May finally decided to call a break. Sora and May looked over the video in the tape recorder that May set up earlier. Just then, Layla and Cathy came in.

"Hey you two. We heard the news." Cathy said. Layla looked at Sora and she looked at Layla.

"Don't worry Layla. This time...I really mean it when I say I'm going to win the festival. If May and I are partners, I don't need to worry." Sora said. May stood up.

"Sora? I'm just going out for a while. I remembered Kalos wanted me to do something for him in town." May said. Sora waited for May to come back. But later that day, Sora found out some horrible news from Mia and Anna. Apparently, May was at the Cape Mary Hospital!

"She...She's where?!" Sora shouted. Quick as a flash, Sora and her friends hurried out to see May at the hospital. When she arrived, she saw May in bed with her left leg in a cast. With her was Cathy, Sarah, Kalos, Layla and Leon.

"I guess you found out the news?" Kalos said. Sora nodded and looked at May.

"Sorry Sora. While I was out, there was a little accident and...I broke my leg." May said. Just then, the doctor came in with May's x-rays.

"This is not good May. I'm afraid you won't be using that leg for a while now. It might take a week or two to heal." the doctor said. This made Sora worry since the festival was going to be near the end of this week. Layla looked at Sora.

"What now Sora? You were going to participate in the festival with May." Sarah said. Sora's glance turned to Leon.

"Sorry Sora. But I have something else on my agenda." Leon said "I won't be able to be your partner." Sora sighed. Just then, she felt someone's hand on her shoulder. It was Layla.

"Sora. Maybe you should try asking your friends. Maybe Anna or Mia would..." Layla said. But just then, she stopped when she saw Sora holding her hand.

"Layla? Would...Would...Would you like to be my partner for the Circus Festival?" Sora said sounding jumpy. Layla gasped and the others looked at them.

"I know this sounds stupid. I should probably ask my friends first." Sora said. Just then, Anna and Mia came into the room.

"Anna? Mia?" Sora said.

"It's OK Sora. We're all right with you asking Layla. Besides, out of the three of us, you're the best performer." Mia said.

"Yeah. But don't worry Sora. We'll be rooting for you." Anna said. Rosetta nodded.

"Then..." Sora said. She turned back to Layla and she kneeled down.

"Please Miss Layla. Please. Can we be partners again for the Circus Festival? I'll work hard. I promise. I'll treat the festival just like we did during the Legendary Great Maneuver." Sora said. Layla looked away. She thought back to the Great Maneuver and how it effected her shoulder and her reaction to what happened with Sora last time.

"I...I don't know Sora. Let me...think about this first." Layla said. She then left the room without a word. Later that night, Layla was in her room looking up at the roof. The memories just seemed to echo in her head going as far back as Sora and Layla's performance on Arabian Nights up to Sora asking her to be her partner for the festival.

"What do I do?" Layla thought. Just then, she could see something over her. It was Fool.

"Fool?" Layla said. Suddenly, Fool's crystal ball appeared in his hand showing Sagittarius within.

"Sagittarius is searching for something in the darkness. Unless Sagittarius can find what it is looking for, it will wander helplessly in the darkness. But it would seem that there is someone that can help Sagittarius out of the darkness." Fool said. Layla looked at a picture by her bed. It was a picture Mia took of the two of them in their costumes from Arabian Nights.

"Sora..." Layla said softly. Before he vanished, Fool said "Layla, it would appear...that you could help Sagittarius escape from the darkness..." Layla laid there in bed wondering what to do. When the next day came, Sora was getting ready to train when someone came in. It was Layla in her training uniform.

"Layla?" Sora said. Layla looked at Sora with a serious face.

"Sora. Let's get to work. We've got a while until the festival starts." Layla said. Sora could tell Layla wanted to perform with her again and she smiled. Layla smiled as well.

"Thank you...Layla..." Sora said. Meanwhile, Fool was looking at his crystal ball again.

"It looks as if Leo has shown Sagittarius the way out of the darkness. So long as these two are a team, anything...is possible. But with worries haunting Sagittarius from the past, how will it effect their teamwork? And...I can sense two other stars approaching them. But...who are these stars?" Fool said.

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_


	2. Ch 2: The Difficult Amazing Decision

_**Angels of the Trapeze: Sora and Layla**_

_**Chapter 2: The Difficult Amazing Decision**_

While Layla and Sora met again in the training room, May was in her bed in the dormitories resting. Just then, Leon came in while May was asleep. May didn't hear him until he came into her room.

"Huh? L...Leon?" May said sounding dazed. Leon looked at her.

"Sorry if I disturbed you. I came to see how you were." Leon said. May slowly sat up with her leg still up.

"I think...I'm doing all right. What about Sora...and Miss Layla?" May said. Leon smiled.

"Let's say those two are going to the festival together after all." Leon said. May smiled.

"That's good. I have a feeling they'll be...great together." May said. Meanwhile, Sora and Layla were doing arm and leg stretches in the training room. Sora walked around on her hands while Layla stretched herself out on the tight rope hanging over the net.

"So, now that we're partners again Layla, what should we do...for a performance?" Sora asked.

"That's a good question. I don't think the Legendary Great Maneuver would work. That move is extremely risky without everything right." Layla said. Sora knew very well.

"Hey. What about the Golden Phoenix? You're really good with that move. And you won the festival with it." Sora said.

"Well, if we did that, it would just feel like I haven't learned anything new." Layla said "Let's think of something new that we haven't tried together." Sora nodded. From afar, Charlotte and Julie watched with Anna, Mia, Rosetta, Marion, Johnathan and Sarah.

"You guys think Sora and Layla can really win the festival?" Mia said "It's making me nervous just thinking about it." Anna smiled.

"I'm sure. Those two can pratically do anything together. Remember when we did Arabian Nights or Freedom? They really were a great pair." Anna said.

"Not to mention they performed the Legendary Great Maneuver together." Rosetta said. Just then, Ken came inside.

"Oh. Hey Ken. What's up?" Sora said.

"I just wanted to come and see you two. Have any ideas for a performance yet?" Ken said. Layla and Sora both shook their heads.

"I see." Ken said. Just then, Sora thought of something.

"Hey Ken? Does the boss have any kind of notes sitting around about previous performers and their routines?" Sora asked. Ken scratched his chin.

"If you're trying to get ideas for your performance, you should meet with the boss. He's in his office now." Ken said. That's exactly what Sora and Layla did. When they entered Kalos' office, he understood what Sora wanted to ask.

"Well, I do keep a few things in a notebook of mine. I have some two men performance notes. Maybe there's a routine you two can do." Kalos said. He took a notebook out of his desk drawer and handed it to Layla.

"Just don't lose it on me. All right?" Kalos said. Sora and Layla nodded. They returned to the training room and looked over the notebook. Inside were many notes on past performers and their routines in Kalos' hand writing.

"Wow. Look at all of these. But...what to choose?" Sora said. Layla and Sora decided to try a few for training and see which one they could get down the most. Layla was all right with some of them, but Sora had difficult times with most of them. They took a short break so Sora could rest. They went back to the dining hall to look over the notebook again.

"It's...unbelievable these other performers could even do these routines!" Sora said.

"Well, we must have looked over all of them by now." Layla said. Fool continued to watch from afar.

"It would appear they still can't decide on a performance." Fool thought. Meanwhile, in the Cape Mary park, two girls were reading a newspaper. It read "Layla Hamilton and Sora Naegino Partners for the Circus Festival" on the front page.

"So, that little Sora Naegino managed to get Layla Hamilton to partner with her for the festival this time? What a strange twist of fate." one of them said. The one reading the newspapaer was slightly older than her partner.

"What should we do about this Diane? If those two attend the festival, there's a really good chance they'll win. Remember the Legendary Great Maneuver?" the other said. Diane laughed and tore out the picture of Sora and Layla from the paper. She showed it to the other girl and ripped it in half so Sora and Layla were on opposite ends.

"What else?" Diane said. Meanwhile, back at Kaleido Stage, Sora and Layla were still looking through Kalos' journal.

"I think it's safe to say Layla. These just won't work." Sora said. Layla nodded.

"These seem too simple. I wish we could find a performance that pushes us to our best like our training in the Grand Canyon." Layla said. She closed the book and sighed. Anna and Mia watched from another table.

"I wish there was something we could do for them." Mia said. Anna nodded. Just then, Layla thought back to when Sora and Leon performed the Angels Maneuver during the Swan Lake performance.

"Wait. I think I thought of an idea." Layla said. Sora looked at her full of anticipation.

"What if...the two of us performed the Angel's Maneuver together?" Layla said. Anna and Mia gasped.

"The...Angel's Maneuver?" Sora said. Layla nodded.

"How about it Sora? If we could pull off the Legendary Great Maneuver, then the Angel's Maneuver shouldn't be that hard. Right?" Layla said. Sora would quickly agree with Layla but she remembered what Yuri told her. He said that it takes a devil and an angel to perform it. She wasn't sure if Layla could really be a devil.

"Is something wrong...Sora?" Layla said. Sora looked at her.

"It's nothing. Just remembering what Yuri taught me about the maneuver." Sora said.

"Yeah. I know. But I'm willing to be a devil if you'll be the angel." Layla said. Sora looked at Layla and she smiled.

"All right then Layla. Let's do it." Sora said. Fool could see the determination in their faces.

"So, you two have decided?" Fool said. Sora and Layla nodded.

"The...Angel's Maneuver? Can those two really pull it off? Sora only did it with Leon." Anna said. Mia was worried too. Meanwhile, Diane and her partner arrived outside of Kaleido Stage and took a good look.

"Take a good look Fiona. Kaleido Stage WON'T be winning this festival." Diane said. She then walked off with a confident smile while Fiona looked worried. Later that night, as Sora was preparing for bed, Layla came by.

"Uh...can I help you Layla?" Sora said. She saw Layla was wearing her coat and had her bag in her hands.

"Wait. You're...not...planning on..." Sora said. Layla nodded.

"It's been a while since we've performed together. I thought we should get back in rythm with each other again." Layla said. Fool heard this and gasped. Sora remembered Fool and quickly darted off. She came back to Layla after she had Fool locked away in her sock drawer.

"Sora! Come on! Isn't this stuffing me into a tight space getting OLD yet?!" Fool said.

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_


	3. Ch 3: Appearance of an Amazing Enemy

_**Angels of the Trapeze: Sora and Layla**_

_**Chapter 3: Appearance of an Amazing Enemy**_

The next day, Sora and Layla trained together for the Angel's Maneuver. Since this was Layla's first time at the maneuver with Sora, she had a little difficulty with it. Sora was doing fine since she performed the maneuver before.

"Hey Layla. How are you doing?" Sora said.

"Doing fine Sora. How are you holding up?" Layla said.

"I'm fine. I think on the next one, you need to time yourself better when I prepare to push off." Sora said. Layla nodded. Just before Sora was ready to try again, Kalos came in.

"Oh. Hey boss. We're hard at work like we promised." Sora said. Kalos looked at Layla and then Sora.

"Girls? I need to have a word with you for a minute. You have the time?" Kalos said. Sora and Layla nodded. Sora and Layla climbed down from the platforms and met with Kalos.

"So what is it Kalos?" Layla said.

"I wanted to let you two know this ahead of time. There are two other performers that will be attending the festival and they are really bad news. They have caused a lot of teams to actually quit in the past before the previous festivals even began." Kalos said. Sora looked worried.

"One of them was actually an original member of Kaleido Stage before something happened between me and her." Kalos said.

"So what does this have to do with us?" Layla said. Kalos showed them the paper that had their picture on the front.

"Since news has gotten out about you two being partners for the festival, you may very well be a big target for them." Kalos said.

"Well, who are they boss?" Sora said. Kalos was about to tell them but Jean and Ken came in requesting for Kalos' opinions about something.

"Right. Sorry. We'll continue this later. All right? Just be very careful if you meet any other performers entering the festival." Kalos said. After he left, Sora turned to Layla.

"Layla? What are we...?" Sora said.

"We're still going to go on Sora. No matter who these two performers are, they can't bring us down. We're going to perform at the festival and we're going to win. Right?" Layla said. Sora looked at Layla's eyes and she got her confidence back.

"Yeah. You're right Layla." Sora said. Layla put her hand out.

"Then let's promise that from here on out, neither of us is going to run away from the festival for any reason." Layla said. Sora smiled and shook Layla's hand. Sora looked at the clock and it was close to lunch time.

"Since it's almost lunch, let's call a break?" Sora said.

"Good idea." Layla said. After Sora and Layla had lunch, they were back to training for the Angel's Maneuver. Meanwhile, Fool was resting by the window in Sora's room. He felt something strange and checked his crystal ball. Inside were Sora and Layla's constellations.

"Hmm. It would appear Sagittarius and Leo are working extra hard to bring the shine of the Angel's Maneuver to the festival stage." Fool said. Just then, he saw a Scorpio arrive.

"What's this? This sign. It isn't Leon. It's another Scorpio. But...who could this be?" Fool said. He looked outside and saw a brown haired girl. It was Diane.

"Oh no. Not her again." Fool said. He looked into the crystal ball again and saw the Scorpio was interfering between Leo and Sagittarius causing them to seperate.

"This...this is not good. I have to warn Sora...before it's too late." Fool said. He quickly went off for Kaleido Stage and Diane actually saw him fly overhead!

"So, HE'S the reason Layla and Sora were able to perform the Legendary Great Maneuver. Isn't that right...Fool?" Diane said. In the training room, Sora and Layla were still training when Fool came in.

"Sora. Look. Isn't that Fool?" Layla said. Sora looked and saw Fool.

"Fool?" Sora said. Fool showed Sora and Layla the crystal ball and they saw the Scorpio.

"What's going on? Are those two...us?" Sora said. Sora gasped when she saw their constellations going different ways.

"Fool? What's going on?" Layla said.

"I was afraid of something like this happening. It would appear another Scorpio, one different from Leon, is coming and is attempting to sabotage your bond as partners." Fool said "And according to my crystal ball, that might not be hard for her to do."

"So, it's a her?" Sora said. Fool nodded.

"Her name is Diane. And she always tries to get what she wants by any means necessary." Fool said. Just then, Fool saw another constellation appear. This one was behind Scorpio but kept it's distance from the three of them.

"Who's that?" Layla said. Fool looked at the ball.

"It would appear that someone is helping Diane accomplish her goal. But...why would she be staying far away from this?" Fool said. The constellation was her partner Fiona which was represented by Aries.

"But...isn't Rosetta an Aries?" Sora said. Layla figured this was someone else.

"In any case, I think it would be best that you two avoid anyone with the name of Diane. She might just be the end of your partnership." Fool said. Sora looked at Layla and felt worried. Later, after practice, Sora went to get some water bottles for her and Layla. However, she ran right into Diane!

"Uh...hello there. Sorry I didn't see you." Sora said.

"That's...all right. I wasn't paying any attention either." Diane said. Sora put her hand out.

"My name's Sora. Sora Naegino." Sora said. Diane shook her hand.

"Hello Sora. My name's Diane." Diane said. When Sora heard her name, she gasped. She was wondering if this was the same Diane that Fool warned her about.

"What's wrong? You look afraid. Is something wrong?" Diane said. Sora slowly backed away.

"You...You're not...I...I got to go!" Sora said. She started off with Diane watching with a grin.

"I guess Fool gave her the message. But it doesn't matter. One way or another, you're mine...Sora Naegino." Diane thought. Her smile soon turned into an evil grin and she walked off. Sora went back to tell Layla that she met Diane but Layla decided to end training a while ago and she left. Fool was there to tell her.

"Fool! Fool! I saw her! I saw Diane!" Sora said. Fool asked Sora to describe Diane to her and sure enough, Fool knew that was the same girl.

"What did you do?" Fool said.

"We just said hello to each other. After I heard her name, I came back here as fast as I could." Sora said "Fool? Why is Diane a threat to me and Layla? How could she possibly ruin our partnership?"

"I thought I told you already. Diane is a ruthless performer that only wants nothing but to be the greatest of all time. And it seems that the ones in her way now are you and Layla." Fool said "Like I said, stay away from Diane. Try not to let anything she do stop you two." Sora remembered her promise to Layla and she easily told Fool that she wasn't about to quit. Fool smiled.

"I better see Layla anyway. And I think I know where she is." Sora said. Sora returned to her room and she saw Layla was talking with someone already. She had short dark blue hair. It was Diane's partner Fiona.

"Sora? We have a visitor. This is Fiona." Layla said. Fiona turned to Sora and waved.

"Oh. Hello there. I'm Sora. It's nice to meet you." Sora said. As Sora shut the door, Fool followed her inside. He saw Fiona and remembered the Aries girl from the crystal ball.

"It would appear that Diane's partner has already emerged. Maybe we can figure out why her constellation is staying away from Sagittarius and the others." Fool thought. While Fiona visited, she became Sora and Layla's new friend.

"So, you're a performer too?" Sora said. Fiona nodded while looking away.

"But, I have a pretty good feeling...you guys are going to win it anyway." Fiona said. Layla looked at her.

"Are you all right?" Layla said. Fiona looked at Layla and felt worried. She got up and left.

"What was that about?" Sora said. Fool watched Fiona the entire time and decided she wasn't as bad as her partner is. At the park, Diane and Fiona met again.

"All right Diane. We're friends now." Fiona said. Diane looked at her with an evil smile.

"Good work. Now...let's bring them down from the inside out." Diane said. She chuckled.

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_


	4. Ch 4: An Amazing New Maneuver!

**_Angels of the Trapeze: Sora and Layla_**

**_Chapter 4: An Amazing New Maneuver?!_**

The hours passed as Sora and Layla continued to work on the Angel's Maneuver as a team. Both of them were doing better and better with each practice session. Kalos was positively sure Sora and Layla could win the Circus Festival with all their hard work. Even Fool was impressed.

"They are good. But...maybe there is something even more spectacular they can perform." Fool thought. He watched them training from high above the net.

"OK Sora! Now!" Layla said. Sora jumped off her bar and Layla caught Sora. Sora then pushed off and posed in the air. She posed like she did the Angel's Maneuver a hundred times. But when she came back down, Layla missed her and Sora fell into the net.

"I guess I was a little slow." Layla said. Sora smiled and rolled out of the net.

"It's all right Layla. I'm fine." Sora said. Just then, Fiona arrived at the doorway besides Kalos.

"Hmm? Who are you?" Kalos said. Fiona stuttered.

"Oh. She's our friend Kalos. Her name's Fiona." Sora said. Kalos looked at Fiona and walked off.

"All right then. I've got some work to do in my office anyway. Keep on training ladies." Kalos said. Fiona went over to Sora and Layla. Layla descended down from the ladder and joined Sora.

"Hey guys. You've really been working hard. Haven't you?" Fiona said. They both smiled and nodded. Fiona could tell since they were both sweating.

"Yeah. What about you? I heard you were going to be in the festival as well." Sora said. Fiona gasped and gulped. Her heart started beating and she wasn't sure to tell them Diane was her partner.

"Hmm? Are you...all right?" Layla said. Fiona nodded with a freaked out look on her face. Sora waved her hand in front of Fiona's face to see if she was all right. Fiona just slowly backed away before darting off.

"What was that about?" Layla said. When Fiona caught her breath, Diane approached her.

"So? Did you get anything new from them?" Diane said. Fiona looked at her and shook her head. Diane groaned.

"You are such a fool. What happened?!" Diane said. Fiona said she couldn't think of anything to tell them when they asked about her entry in the festival. Diane sighed.

"Look. Just lie to them." Diane said. She whispered something into Fiona's ear and Fiona went back to Layla and Sora. But by the time she got there, Sora and Layla were both gone.

"D'oh! Not again!" Fiona thought. She didn't even DARE go back to tell Diane they left. Meanwhile, Sora and Layla were in Sora's bedroom taking a break. Sora made some of her green tea and they both had some.

"Oh. This is...a bit sour." Layla said. Sora chuckled telling Layla she would have to get used to it before it tasted good.

"Wow. You sure drink some weird stuff Sora." Layla said. The two of them chuckled just as Fool came in.

"Fool?" Layla said.

"I was just checking up on the Kaleido Stars. I actually wanted to tell you two something that I think may help your victory at the festival." Fool said. Sora looked at Fool.

"All right Fool. What is it?" Sora said. Fool cleared his throat and looked at them.

"There once was a great phoenix and a graceful angel. The two were friends at birth and couldn't be seperated. However, when they were older, the phoenix was attacked by the devil and darkness swarmed over the land. The angel was able to bring her friend back and only by uniting their powers did the darkness vanish for good." Fool said. Sora was completely confused and Layla looked confused.

"What was that for?" Sora said.

"It was an ancient story I learned from the last person who could see me. She told me that this story was one of her favorites while growing up." Fool said. Layla thought for a minute.

"Wait a second. Sora? Don't the "phoenix" and "angel" sound familiar?" Layla said. Sora shook her head.

"I think...if you put us in there, I'm the phoenix and you're the angel." Layla said. Suddenly, Sora begun to figure it out. The angel was Sora since her move was the Angel's Maneuver and Layla's Golden Phoenix move made her the phoenix.

"So, if you think about it, that could be us." Sora said. Fool looked at them.

"Maybe you ladies could use this new bit of information towards something brand new. Maybe create a brand new maneuver that combines your greatest performances as one." Fool said. Layla looked at Sora with a new look of determination in her eyes.

"Sora? We should look into this story more." Layla said. Sora agreed with her completely. The two headed for the local library to try and find the story. But the library didn't have a copy of the story. However, using the computers in the library, they were able to find the book's title and it was considered an chinese lore. So their next best bet was to ask May.

"May should know something about this." Sora said. When they visited May, she was in a wheelchair in her bedroom.

"A phoenix and an angel? And it's a chinese legend?" May said. Sora and Layla nodded. May looked through some of the books she brought from home and saw she had a copy of what they were looking for.

"Here. What did you guys want this old thing for?" May said.

"We were going to create a new maneuver from the story. But we needed to know more about it first." Sora said. After Sora and Layla borrowed May's book, May was left completely confused. Sora and Layla returned to Sora's room and looked over the book. They were some old pieces of artwork in the book that illustrated the phoenix and angel.

"Wow. This story is pretty interesting." Layla said. When they found an illustration of the phoenix and angel older, they almost thought they saw themselves in the picture.

"Layla? This is DEFINETLY what we've been looking for. Let's tell the boss about this." Sora said. Sora and Layla brought the book to Kalos and he checked it out.

"I think you ladies are onto something. This does sound a lot like you based off your specialties. So, go ahead. Try and make a new maneuver from this story. You may very well end up surprising us all." Kalos said. Sora and Layla smiled.

"Thank you. We will." Sora and Layla said together. After that, Sora and Layla went to Mia for some ideas. She was in her room at the time.

"A new maneuver? Well, I know I did think up our little act in Cinderella. This ought to be a good challenge." Mia said. Just then, Cathy came in.

"Hello laides. I just heard the news from Kalos. You are trying to make a new maneuver that's all your own. That's great. And you better have me help with it. Because, as Layla knows, I won't take no for an answer." Cathy said. Layla chuckled.

"All right Cathy. You can help us." Layla said. Mia started to make virtual performances on her laptop. Sora, Layla and Cathy watched from behind her. But from the door crack, Diane heard everything Sora and the others were talking about.

"What the? This can't be right. They're making...a new maneuver?!" Diane said. She rushed off to find Fiona. Fiona was looking at some clothes in a store when Diane found her.

"There you are!" Diane said.

"Oh. Hi Fiona. Don't you think this is cute on me? I think it's...what the?!" Fiona said. She was dragged out of the store by Diane. She dropped the shirt she was holding.

"What is it Diane? Did something happen?" Fiona said. Diane told her everything.

"What? Sora and Layla...are making a new maneuver for the festival? I thought they were doing the Angel's Maneuver." Fiona said.

"That's what I thought too. But by the sound of their voices, this could very well guarantee their victory. We CAN'T let that happen! We just can't!" Diane said. Fiona gulped when she tried to figure out where Diane was going with all this.

"Wait. You're not planning to..." Fiona said. Diane nodded.

"Our only chance to winning the festival...is to take one of them out or ruin their maneuver before the festival. And we've got three days left!" Diane said. Fiona was worried about this entirely. All she wanted was to be Sora and Layla's friend.

"But...I..." Fiona said. Meanwhile, Mia, Sora, Layla and Cathy were in the training room thinking of some new ideas.

"How about this?" Mia said. She showed them an idea for the maneuver on her laptop and Sora liked it alongside Layla.

"I've got to say Mia. You REALLY know how to make cool stuff." Cathy said. Mia smiled.

"Thanks Cathy. Now all we need is a name." Mia said. Just then, Sora got an idea. She borrowed Mia's computer and typed something. It read "The Angelic Phoenix Dance" on the page.

"That's...That's a great name Sora. I was thinking something like that as well." Layla said. When Mia presented it to Kalos on her laptop, Kalos was indeed impressed.

"All right then. I approve this maneuver of yours. Now comes the true test. Think you ladies can pull it off?" Kalos said. Sora and Layla looked at each other and then back at Kalos with determination in their eyes.

"Yes sir." Layla and Sora said together. From afar, Fool watched with a smile while Diane sat in the park worried.

"That maneuver...it could be the end of all of my hard work." Diane thought.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	5. Ch 5: Diane's Amazing Dirty Tricks

**_Angels of the Trapeze: Sora and Layla_**

**_Chapter 5: Diane's Amazing Dirty Tricks_**

Sora and Layla were working extra hard after that day to bring their Angelic Phoenix Dance to life. Sora and Layla made Kalos promise not to let anyone else find out what the maneuver was before they performed it. Rosetta was upset to hear this.

"Oh man. I really wanted to know too." Rosetta said. Mia patted her head.

"Hey. Don't worry Rosetta. If you can last three days, you'll see it yourself." Mia said. Anna's eyes shifted to Mia with a smile.

"Well, I bet since YOU helped them, you should be able to give us a little preview of it on your laptop." Anna said. Mia sighed.

"Fine. But just a peek." Mia said. She opened her laptop and then closed it again. Anna and Rosetta groaned.

"What was that?!" Rosetta said. Mia chuckled.

"What? That WAS your peek." Mia said. Anna groaned and looked at Mia.

"Come on Mia! At least tell us a little bit about it!" Anna said. Mia smiled.

"Fine. I was just joking earlier." Mia said. Rosetta and Anna leaned in closer to hear her. But all Mia said was "If you want to see the best of it, wait three more days!" in a teasing voice. Rosetta and Anna were about ready to lose it. Mia grabbed her laptop and ran. Anna and Rosetta chased her.

"Anna! You sneaky snake! You tricked us!" Anna shouted. As they ran, all Mia did was laugh. Meanwhile, Sora and Layla were training hard in the training room. It seemed their maneuver needed plenty of air time for them to perform it. Just then, Leon and May came in. May was still in her wheelchair.

"Oh. Hey May. Hey Leon. What's up?" Sora said. Leon smiled.

"Don't mind us Sora. We wanted to see how you guys were." May said.

"We're fine. What about you May? Is your leg feeling any better?" Layla said. May chuckled.

"Yes Layla. I should be back up sooner than the doctor thought." May said. Her cast was signed by the other members of Kaleido Stage including Sora and Layla.

"So, what about you two? Kalos told me about your "Angelic Phoenix Dance" for the festival. He didn't give me the full details about this new maneuver. So I decided that the best source would be from the ones performing it." Leon said. Sora chuckled.

"Sorry Leon. We're not spoiling one bit of it. You're just going to have to wait for the festival!" Sora said. Leon smiled.

"I should have guessed. Very well then." Leon said. After that, Leon and May left without another word. Sora and Layla continued training until the both of them were ready to collapse on the spot. By the time their training was over, they were catching their breath.

"Hey Sora. You need to time your jump a little better. We must be bumping into each other more times than usual." Layla said. Sora nodded. Just then, Sarah came into the room after slamming the door behind her.

"Miss Sarah? What is it?" Sora said. Sarah had a newspaper under her arm.

"Have you girls seen the paper recently? Someone's been giving lies about you two to the press. And of course, they're just eating it up! I can't get rid of the reporters until now. Look at this." Sarah said. The front cover read "Sora and Layla Might Be Dropping Out" above their picture. Sora gasped.

"Who did this?" Layla said. Layla read the paper and it said that an unconfirmed source mentioned Layla and Sora's possible plans on dropping out of the festival. Sora couldn't find the right words to say about this.

"I bet this was Diane's doing. She's trying to sabotage us." Sora said. Just then, Diane came in clapping.

"Good guess Sora. I must say you're smarter than you are talented." Diane said.

"What was that?!" Sora said. Sarah held Sora back as Layla approached her.

"This isn't going to stop us Diane. I don't know where you got the idea for this, but you WON'T stop us from performing on that stage. And you know what? We're going to win." Layla said. Sora nodded confidently. Diane huffed.

"Not with the inside tip I've been getting from my partner. She's been hearing EVERYTHING." Diane said. Layla and Sora gasped.

"Who? Who is it?" Sarah said. From outside, Fiona waited for Diane to come back. She begged Diane not to involve her in any of this.

"Why it's none other than..." Diane said. But she stopped when she saw their faces.

"Never mind. Forget I EVEN said that." Diane said. She walked off chuckling. Layla followed after Diane while Sarah stayed with Sora. She caught up to Diane just before she left. As Diane opened the door, Layla slammed it shut.

"Tell me who your little spy is or you're not getting out of here." Layla said. Diane chuckled.

"Now really Layla. I'm surprised. How could Kaleido Stage's biggest star worry about something like this? Oh wait. You're not the star. That's Sora." Diane said. Layla stared at Diane angrily.

"You can't trick me Diane. You're not leaving here until I know the truth." Layla said. Diane smiled.

"Poor Layla. You want to know EVERYTHING that happens around you. But...you weren't always like this. Don't you remember the LAST person you went to the festival with before Yuri came along?" Diane said. Layla gasped.

"How do you know? How do you know...about Cynthia?" Layla said. Diane smiled.

"I knew all about you two. Cynthia was your old partner before Yuri came into the picture. You two did EVERY little thing together that you soon became like sisters." Diane said "But after Yuri came into the picture, you saw him as your "perfect" partner." Layla stepped in front of Diane to keep her from leaving. She didn't want anyone to hear what Diane was saying.

"You wished she could have just "disappeared" after she was bothering you so much. Then...that horrible "accident" occured." Diane said. Layla growled and grabbed Diane's shirt collar.

"You! Cynthia was my friend! She was one of the ones that believed in me before I became a top star here! Why are you making it sound like I didn't care about her?!" Layla said. Diane chuckled and she took Layla's hand off her shirt. Before she stepped out the door, she looked back.

"Because...if you don't watch it, the same thing...may very well happen to Naegino..." Diane said. Layla gasped and Diane just left with an evil grin. Layla was even more worried about Sora now.

"No. I won't...I won't let Sora suffer the same fate as...her." Layla said. But outside, Sora had heard everything Diane and Layla were talking about. She approached Layla slowly.

"Layla? What's going on? Who's...Cynthia?" Sora said. Layla gasped and looked back at Sora. Without a word, Layla just walked off sniffling and wiping her eyes with her arm.

"Layla! Layla! Wait!" Sora shouted. She followed Layla but Layla told Sora to just back off.

"It's better...that you don't know!" Layla said. She walked off and Sora was left standing there.

"Layla..." Sora thought. From afar, Fool saw everything and then looked at his crystal ball.

"Scorpio's words have caused Leo to push herself away from Sagittarius. Her fears for her departed friend have begun to make her stutter." Fool said "This could very well...endanger the appearance of their Angelic Phoenix Dance." Sora took one last look at Layla and walked off. Outside, Diane saw Sora's face through the glass door.

"That's right Sora. You should worry about Layla. Because the more you do, the more likely you could have an "accident" too." Diane said. Fiona watched Diane walk away with an evil grin and she could only think of Sora. She went in to see Sora. Sora was in the training room completely glum.

"Hey Sora." Fiona said softly. Sora looked at her.

"Is this...a bad time?" Fiona said. Sora shook her head.

"Hey. Come on. Let's go out and have fun. All right?" Fiona said. Sora figured that would be best. Fiona and Sora left. Meanwhile, Layla talked to Kalos about what Diane did.

"Don't worry Layla. Yuri and I are going to make sure that she doesn't get away with this. Also, we'll make sure to keep our eyes out for any suspicious characters here." Kalos said. Just then, Layla remembered Fiona's visits were before Diane arrived. She gasped.

"Sora...and Fiona!" Layla thought. She went out to find Sora but she had left with Fiona. Layla then went to town.

"If I'm right, Sora's in danger." Layla thought. When she found Sora, she was out at a restaurant enjoying lunch with Fiona. Sora was smiling again.

"Thanks Fiona. This is really nice." Sora said. Fiona smiled.

"It's OK Sora. We're friends. Right? Friends make sure they don't feel bad." Fiona said. Sora smiled and they chuckled together. Layla watched from afar.

"Sora..." Layla thought. For the rest of the day, Layla followed Sora and Fiona around town. Sora was enjoying herself so much that she forgot about her previous problem with Layla. While Layla was glad Sora wasn't worried so much, she was growing more worried about Fiona. She was pretty sure Fiona was Diane's spy.

"I won't...I won't let Sora end up like Cynthia." Layla thought. Meanwhile, back at Kaleido Stage, Anna and Rosetta were still trying to get a peek at the maneuver from Mia. Mia kept herself well hidden in her bedroom. But when she came out, Anna and Rosetta jumped her.

"Ha! Got you this time Mia! Now what IS this Angelic Phoenix Dance? Tell us!" Anna said. Mia struggled to get free.

"Guys! Knock it off!" Mia said. Just then, Marion arrived with Johnathan on her head.

"Uh...why are you guys wrestling Mia?" Marion said. Johnathan barked confused. Anna and Rosetta looked at each other and chuckled. They got off Mia and Mia dusted herself off.

"Hey. Have you guys seen Sora around? I can't find her. Kalos was getting worried." Marion said. Anna, Mia and Rosetta just shook their heads.

"She can't be far. Maybe she's out in town." Anna said. Alongside Marion and Johnathan, they went out to find Sora. The sun was beginning to set and the sky was turning dark.

"I better get back to Kaleido Stage Fiona. It's getting late." Sora said. Fiona understood and left with a smile and a wave. Sora waved back and walked off. But just then, she was cut off by Layla.

"L...Layla?" Sora said. Fiona looked back and saw the two of them looking at each other. Fiona ducked into a nearby bush and watched. Meanwhile, up the road, Diane could see Sora and Layla talking to each other through her binoculars. A crooked smile was on her face.

"Listen Layla. I'm sorry about before. I was really worried and...I wasn't sure whether to continue or not. But I've decided to just forget about it." Sora said. But Layla just looked at her with a stone cold face.

"Layla?" Sora said.

"Sora? I think it's best...you stay far away from Fiona." Layla said. Sora gasped when she heard how serious Layla was in her voice.

"Wh...What do you mean?" Sora said. Layla grabbed Sora's wrist.

"Layla! What is it?!" Sora said.

"If you want our maneuver to be successful, then you can't be around Fiona! She can't be trusted." Layla said. Sora gasped and tried to get her wrist free but a struggle soon broke out between them. Fool watched from the trees. His crystal ball showed Leo trying to cover Sagittarius.

"What is Leo doing? It looks like...she's trying to shield Sagittarius. But from what?" Fool said. He saw a comet zoom by Sagittarius and it vanished. Fool gasped and looked at Sora.

"Layla! Let me go! What do you mean?! Fiona's our friend!" Sora shouted.

"I thought we were partners Sora. And partners are supposed to listen to each other! If you don't, you might end up like...!" Layla said. But Sora broke free before Layla could finish. Sora was completely consumed by fear and backed away. Layla tried to approach Sora.

"Layla. I'm sorry to say this. But please...just get away from me!" Sora shouted. Sora began running into the road and stumbled. Diane saw this and chuckled.

"Now." Diane said. She was in a car and she started off down the road. The headlights shined brightly and Diane's face couldn't be seen. Layla gasped when she heard the car approaching. Layla looked at Sora with fear in her eyes.

"Sora...no..." Layla thought. In her mind, she saw herself and Cynthia holding hands and walking across a street together. But it soon changed to Layla telling Cynthia to disappear from her life. Layla's younger self then vanished and she saw Cynthia scream. A light blinded her and she heard a honk. Layla snapped back to normal and saw Sora getting up.

"Sora!" Layla screamed. She dashed for Sora just as she was getting back on her feet. Diane growled and put more force on the petal. Sora heard a horn honk and turned towards the sound. She saw the car approaching her and gasped. Sora couldn't move and she could only gasp for breath. All she could hear was her heart beating faster and her eyes were locked onto the car with absolute fear.

"Sora! Look out!" Layla shouted. She grabbed Sora and the two rolled down the hill next to the road. Diane just barely missed Sora and Layla completely.

"Layla!" Sora shouted. Just as they were tumbling down the hill, Fiona gasped and rushed after them. On the pathway beneath them, Anna, Mia, Rosetta, Marion and Johnathan were still looking for them.

"Sora! Sora. Where are you?" Marion said. Just then, Mia gasped and pointed to the hill. They saw Sora and Layla clutching each other tightly and they hit the ground.

"Ah! Sora! Layla!" they shouted. They hurried to their sides as Fiona was coming down the hill. She slowly losed her footing but Anna caught her.

"Sora! Miss Layla!" Fiona shouted. They gathered around them and Layla was still holding Sora tightly in her arms. Her eyes were closed as tightly as possible and she looked afraid.

"Layla?" Rosetta said. Layla soon realized the danger was over and she opened her eyes. But when she looked at Sora, she was knocked out.

"Sora. No..." Lalya said softly.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	6. Ch 6: An Amazing Cause of Concern

**_Angels of the Trapeze: Sora and Layla_**

**_Chapter 6: An Amazing Cause of Concern_**

Later that night, Sora's friends brought her to the Cape Merry Hospital. Layla called Kalos on a pay phone and told him everything that happened. He told Layla he would be right over. Layla hung the phone back up and returned to Sora's room.

"Sora..." Layla thought. When she entered, Anna, Mia, Rosetta and Marion were there as well. Johnathan sat by Marion's feet. Sora was in her bed asleep. She had a bandage wrapped around her forehead and she was in a clean white shirt. Her clothes were kept folded by the window.

"Hey Layla. Sora seems to be all right." Mia said. Layla sat down in a chair by Sora's side and looked at her. Sora looked so peaceful in bed. Just then, Fiona came in.

"Hi. Is she all right?" Fiona said. She sat at the foot of Sora's bed looking up at her.

"I think she is. She hasn't moved at all." Rosetta said. Anna looked at Layla and saw a tear in her eye. Anna figured Layla must have been feeling hurt inside.

"Poor Layla." Anna thought. Kate came in with Jerry at her side. He was in his hawaiian shirt and shorts.

"Hey guys. I heard the news about Sora. Can I come in?" Jerry said. Kate nodded and the two entered.

"Look at her. She's out cold yet she looks so peaceful." Kate said.

"Kate? Is Sora going to be all right?" Mia said. Layla kept her eyes on Sora.

"Well, she just hit her head hard enough to pass out. If anything, she should be awake by next morning probably. But we should keep her here for safety." Kate said. Rosetta was afraid Sora might wake up with amnesia or not be able to perform the Angelic Phoenix Dance with Layla.

"Sora...please...wake up soon." Rosetta thought. In the hallway, Leon and May had arrived. Leon held the handles on May's wheelchair when they asked where Sora's room was.

"She's just down the hall there." the nurse said. Leon and May entered Sora's room and saw her in bed.

"Sora?" May said. She knew very well Sora wouldn't answer her. Fiona looked up at Leon and May looking at her.

"Wow. It's amazing. She has THIS many friends watching over her? Diane never...really did much of that for me." Fiona thought. Just behind Leon was Kalos and Yuri. Mr. Kenneth arrived as well. Kate chuckled.

"Well this is something. I never imagined all of you would be here just for Sora." Kate said. But right after she said that, Ken and Jean entered.

"Hello. Sorry to come in like this. But I couldn't help it. Is Sora all right?" Ken said. Kate chuckled.

"You must have been the fifth person to ask me that today. She should be fine by morning." Kate said. Kalos looked at Layla and he was surprised. Yuri was the same when he saw her face.

"Layla, I've never seen you this way before." Yuri thought. From out in the hallway, Diane heard everything and groaned.

"Well, that should stall their maneuver long enough. With only a day or two to go, they'll NEVER beat me. I've already got a maneuver in mind. And I know I can master it." Diane said. Just then, she saw a trail of glitter fly in front of her.

"Ugh. Stupid fireflies." Diane said. But it wasn't a firefly. It was Fool himself.

"Fool?" Diane said. Fool looked at her rather upset.

"I never thought I would be revealing myself to you again Diane. You're still the same." Fool said. Diane smiled.

"Well, what would you expect? All I want is to be the best performer in the world. And no way am I about to stop because of you." Diane said. Fool's crystal ball appeared in his hands.

"What's that? A crystal ball? I thought you used those cards." Diane said. Fool didn't reply and showed Diane the inside.

"Scorpio's actions have caused a severe blow to the connection held by Leo and Sagittarius. Now while Sagittarius might be slowly fading from existance, it would appear that she will never disappear...so long as Leo continues to stand by her." Fool said. Diane had a pretty good feeling what Fool meant.

"Face it Diane. If you continue along the path you have chosen, your dream will never come true." Fool said. Diane just huffed.

"Same as always Fool. Don't think this will change my mind about squat. It's too late for me. Besides, I'm still very upset that you would have chosen Sora and Layla over me for the Legendary Great Maneuver." Diane said.

"Unlike you, their hearts belong to the stage. They are willing to go to any length to give the best performance they could possibly do. They have endured pain far greater than I doubt you could ever feel." Fool said.

"You're bluffing." Diane said. Fool smiled and told Diane to watch the crystal ball. What Diane saw made her gasp. She saw Sora and Layla as little kids in the audience watching Alice in Wonderland.

"What...what's this?" Diane said. The image in the crystal ball changed to Sora crying over her parents graves.

"Naegino...lost her parents? That's...that's cold." Diane said softly. The crystal ball soon showed Sora and Layla's lives progressing through up to the day when they met on Kaleido Stage. Diane couldn't believe what she was seeing. She saw Sora and Layla's performance on Arabian Nights and even when Kaleido Stage was taken by Yuri and Sora's group created Freedom Lights.

"No...way..." Diane said softly. The images continued showing Sora and Layla's Legendary Great Maneuver, Sora and Leon's fight over Layla, and even Sora from the festival last year when she was crying in midair. The last thing she saw was Sora performing the Angel's Maneuver and the enormous applause she recieved.

"Sora. The kid's had a harsh life. First she loses her parents, then she struggles with trying to please her idol, and now this." Diane thought "No wonder she's worked so hard becoming the Kaleido Star. And Layla having to worry about her father." Fool smiled.

"Now do you see? Like I told you earlier, the pain you have ever felt...could not ever match theirs." Fool said. Fool then vanished and Diane tried to stop him. But after he vanished, she began remembering how she grew up.

"Those guys don't know how much harder their lives were than mine." Diane said. She grew up with both of her parents but they were against the idea of her becoming a performer. She ran away from home to join Kaleido Stage. After she was beginning to blossom as a performer, she was able to see Fool. But the way she performed began to make everyone around her angry.

"I probably don't even deserve a second chance there." Diane thought. When she performed before, she always tried to steal the crowd's attention on herself. She believed that she was the only real performer there with the way everyone else was. Kalos couldn't stand this and he ended her contract. Before she left, she swore that Kaleido Stage would fall without her. But thinking about Sora and Layla's accomplishments, Diane felt those were just empty words.

"Heh. Looking back now, I feel like a fool." Diane said. Just then, Fiona approached Diane.

"Diane? I've got something to say to you." Fiona said. Diane turned around and faced her.

"Listen. I agreed to be your partner a few years ago because I felt like you were someone I could be friends with. But after what you tried to do to Sora makes me regret it. How could you try and drive a car into her?! She's not a brick wall!" Fiona said "She could be dead right now!" Diane sighed.

"So, this is it Diane. I've had it. You've done some bad things before...but this takes the cake. I can't stand it. From this moment on, I'm not your partner...anymore." Fiona said. She then walked back to Sora's room without another word or looking back.

"Fiona..." Diane thought "Smart choice. I've put you through too much." Diane remembered back when she met Fiona the first time. She had recently quit Kaleido Stage and was looking for a new theatre to perform for. She met Fiona as a struggling girl trying her best to perform on stage.

"You were still a beginner then. I'll never forget it." Diane thought. She took Fiona under her wing and taught her so many amazing tricks. Fiona promised to be by Diane's side no matter what. Diane agreed feeling that she finally found someone who she could be friends with.

"It's your life now. I won't hold you back anymore." Diane thought. She left the hospital without another word. Meanwhile, in Sora's room, Layla was still by Sora's side.

"Where's everyone else?" Fiona said.

"They went into the other room. Kate was feeling a little crowded. But she let me stay here. I've been by Sora's side the entire time." Layla said. Fiona pulled up a chair and sat besides Layla.

"I heard your little talk with Diane. It sounds like you've chosen to follow your own path now." Layla said. Fiona nodded.

"Sorry if I caused any problems." Fiona said. Layla shook her head.

"It's all right. You did what you felt was right. I'm sure Sora would say the same thing." Layla said. Meanwhile, May and the others were in the lobby. May got a soda and joined the others.

"I never thought Sora would really go through something like that. It must have been so horrifying." Mia said.

"Yeah. It reminds me of what I went through not too long ago. I was out getting something for Kalos. But I later found out it was a trick and someone shoved me down a flight of stairs." May said "As you guys know, my leg was the only thing broken." Leon looked at May.

"I'll bet anything that this was Diane's doing. We can't trust her anymore. If she caused this to May, she is very well responsible for what almost happened to Sora." Kalos said. Just then, Fiona approached them.

"You're...Fiona. Right? Sora's told us about you." Anna said. Fiona nodded and looked at Kalos.

"Mr. Kalos? Please forgive me. But Diane and I were responsible for what happened to May. But I had no involvment with what happened to Sora." Fiona said "But I want you to know that I've ended my partnership with Diane. Although, I probably don't deserve forgiveness." Sarah and Kalos looked at her.

"What do you think Kalos?" Sarah said. Kalos stood up and took his shades off.

"Well, if you're truly sorry, then we should." Kalos said. May nodded.

"You're forgiven." May said. Fiona smiled and started to cry a little. Kalos put his hand on Fiona's head.

"Besides, I've heard about you Fiona. I've heard about some of the great things you accomplished while working with Diane. If you're looking for a new place to perform, how about Kaleido Stage?" Kalos said. Fiona gasped and looked at everyone else.

"Yeah. Why not? Come on Fiona." Mia said. Anna and Rosetta nodded. She looked around and everyone else was nodding as well. Fiona felt so happy that all she could say was "Yes...I will." to Kalos. Kalos smiled.

"Then it's settled. Welcome aboard the Kaleido Stage Fiona." Kalos said. He and Fiona shook hands and Fiona couldn't help but cry.

"I can't wait to see you perform Fiona." Sarah said. Leon nodded as well.

"Thank you...everyone." Fiona said. Later that night, Sora woke from her unconsciousness and saw Layla still by her side.

"L..Layla..." Sora said. Layla saw Sora and smiled. She held Sora's hand.

"Sora. I'm sorry...about before. I didn't mean to..." Layla said. Sora smiled and shook her head.

"It's all right Layla. You were just...trying to protect me." Sora said "I'm so happy to have a partner like you." Layla smiled and she helped Sora sit up. When they heard her voice, the others came back in.

"Sora! You're up!" Rosetta said. She rushed over and hugged Sora. Sora smiled and hugged her.

"Sora. Good to see you up. How do you feel?" Sarah said. Sora stretched her arms.

"I feel much better. What happened? Why am I here?" Sora said.

"You passed out but we brought you here." Anna said. Anna and Mia looked at Layla.

"Layla has been by your bed the entire time. She never left your side for an instant." Leon said. Sora looked at Layla.

"Yeah. I thought her legs fell asleep or something. But that's besides the point. Kalos got someone new to join Kaleido Stage." May said. Sora gasped and looked at Kalos. He stepped aside and she saw Fiona waving.

"Really? Fiona? You joined Kaleido Stage?" Sora said. Fiona smiled and nodded.

"Wow. Congratulations." Sora said. She shook Fiona's hand and they both smiled.

"Well Sora? We've got an maneuver to make real still. You up to it?" Layla said. Sora looked at Layla and nodded.

"Of course I am. Nothing's going to bring me down." Sora said. Outside, Diane had came back to see Sora and she heard everything through the door.

"Good job kid. You really keep your head up." Diane said. Fool checked his crystal ball and Sagittarius was shining brightly.

"Sagittarius is once again shining brighter than ever. And Leo now shines just as bright. This could be the start...of something truly amazing." Fool said.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	7. Ch 7: The Amazing Final Preparations

**_Angels of the Trapeze: Sora and Layla_**

**_Chapter 7: The Amazing Final Preparations_**

The next day, Sora and Layla continued to train for their Angelic Phoenix Dance. But this wasn't like any other day of training. Sora and Layla were in their final stretches since the festival would be starting the day after today.

"All right Sora. This is it. Our last day of training. We can't go easy now. We don't have much time left." Layla said. Sora nodded confidently.

"Yeah. Let's give it everything we've got. We're going to bring a whole new performance to the stage." Sora said. Layla looked at Sora.

"Sora? I want to say...thanks for always working hard towards this." Layla said. Sora smiled and chuckled.

"Don't you remember our promise Layla? Of course I wouldn't think that." Sora said. Layla smiled and they climbed above the net to train. Kalos was in his office looking out the window. All he could think about was Sora and Layla. Just then, Sarah came in.

"Hello Kalos. Got a minute?" Sarah said. Kalos said she was welcomed in. Fiona was behind her.

"Hmm? Fiona? Why are you here?" Kalos said.

"Well, I feel a little...out of place here. Without Diane, I just feel...lost and lonely." Fiona said. She blushed and looked down. Sarah chuckled and patted Fiona's head.

"Come on now. What have I told you? You'll make a LOT of friends. Sora and Layla are already your friends. So don't worry." Sarah said "Anyway Kalos, I was getting all worked up about tomorrow. The festival is going to begin soon." Kalos nodded.

"Yes. I know." Kalos said.

"You think those two can really do it? I hope trying a new maneuver on the festival stage isn't against the rules or anything." Sarah said.

"I checked with the commitee and there's nothing against performing something new on the festival stage." Kalos said "All I pray is for a victory." Sarah nodded thinking the same thing.

"It would be a heartbreaker if after all that training. I wouldn't know what to do if they lost." Sarah said. Fiona gasped and looked at Kalos and Sarah.

"You guys...aren't doubting them. Are you?" Fiona said. Sarah and Kalos looked at Fiona.

"Of course not. Actually, let's forget about them ever losing. There is no way those two could lose the festival." Sarah said. Fiona smiled and nodded.

"Yeah." Fiona said. After that, Sarah brought Fiona to her dorm room and she was a few doors down from Sora. After she put some things away, she went out to meet the other people on Kaleido Stage. She was pleased to see there were so many friendly people.

"What was I worrying about? This place is great. Everyone is so nice and...huh?" Fiona said. She saw Anna, Mia, Rosetta, Marion and Johnathan sitting together thinking. She walked over with a curious look on her face.

"Uh...what are you guys doing?" Fiona said. Anna looked at Fiona.

"Oh. Hey Fiona. We're just thinking about Sora and Layla's performance at the festival." Anna said.

"Huh. The boss and Miss Sarah were wondering the same thing before." Fiona said.

"We really should do something special for them to show that we wish them the best of luck. But what?" Mia said.

"The Kid's Stage is going to be under repair a bit. So we can't use that." Marion said. Johnathan barked sadly.

"There's...a Kid Stage?" Fiona said. Marion nodded.

"So, what else could we do? Oh. This is making my brain hurt!" Mia said. She groaned and started clutching her head. Fiona smiled.

"Well, why not throw a surprise party for them? That should show them how much you guys care." Fiona said. Just then, everyone gasped and Fiona froze from shock.

"Uh...what?! Did I say something wrong?!" Fiona said sounding worried. Anna and the others looked at Fiona and smiled.

"Great idea Fiona!" they said together.

"Uh...what was?" Fiona said.

"The party idea silly! Let's throw those two the biggest bash they ever had!" Mia said. Mia grabbed Fiona's wrist and they all dashed off for Kalos' office. Meanwhile, Leon and Yuri were outside looking out at the sea.

"To think Leon. Layla's returned to the festival as a performer. And...this time, I'm not the one she's partnered with." Yuri said.

"The same should be said for Sora. I'm surprised...she seems more determined than the last time she was attending the festival." Leon said. Yuri looked at him and smiled.

"Well, that was because of me being her partner. And also, she wanted to make Layla so proud. But thinking back now, I don't think Layla could be anymore prouder of Sora than what she is now." Yuri said. Leon smiled as well.

"I just wish Kalos would let us know about this new maneuver the two of them are performing." Leon said. Yuri chuckled.

"Yeah. Me too." Yuri said. Meanwhile, Sora and Layla were taking a break in the training room. Both of them were completely exhausted and they seemed to be sweating.

"Man. Training for a new maneuver...really takes it out of you." Sora said. Layla nodded.

"Come on Sora. Let's keep going." Layla said. But just as they were getting back up to train, Sarah whistled loudly.

"Oh no you don't! You two need a longer break than THAT!" Sarah said. Sora and Layla looked at Sarah confused.

"But...Sarah..." Sora said. Sarah approached them with a dead serious look on her face.

"Now...either you two take another break or feel my kung-fu wrath!" Sarah said. She started making karate noises and doing karate moves. Sora and Layla figured there was no stopping her. Sarah made them a special lunch and they enjoyed it.

"This is really good Sarah. Thank you." Sora said.

"It's my pleasure girls. You're giving this your all and I should support you in anyway I can." Sarah said.

"Well, this was very nice of you. But Sora and I really need to keep training. We've got a big day coming." Layla said. Just as Layla started heading for the net, Sarah caught her.

"What now?" Layla said.

"I think the best thing for you two now is to just rest." Sarah said. Sora gasped and looked at Sarah.

"But...Sarah. What about the maneuver? I don't think we..." Sora said. But Sarah gave Sora an evil glare in her eye.

"Are you doubting me Sora? After all the advice I've given you before, you STILL doubt me?!" Sarah said. Sora started to freak out and wave her hands.

"No! No! Of course not!" Sora said. After that, Sarah's happy face returned. Sora and Layla were a bit disturbed.

"Sarah...is scary." Sora thought. While Sarah led them out of the room, Anna and the others were on the stage preparing something. It was the party they were planning for Sora and Layla. Ken was helping out as well. They had went to Kalos for permission and he thought it would be all right.

"This is going to be so cool." Rosetta said. Anna and Mia nodded. Fiona was blowing up some balloons. But they slipped out of her hands and were flying around. Luckily, May came in and caught one. She was still in her wheelchair.

"May?" Mia said. May wheeled herself over and started blowing the balloon up again.

"I heard about your little surprise party. Even Sarah is helping you guys. So why shouldn't I?" May said. Mia wasn't sure May should since her current status. But that didn't stop May. Meanwhile, Sarah was making sure Sora and Layla didn't find out about the party until it was ready. She was in her car with Cathy driving.

"Layla? Where are we going?" Sora said. Layla looked at Sora and shrugged.

"Cathy? What's going on here?" Layla said. Cathy looked at her and smiled.

"Come on Layla. You two are pratically training yourselves to death. Why not enjoy a good ride around town?" Cathy said. Layla groaned while Sora looked rather worried and confused.

"Just relax and leave it to us." Cathy said. Secretly, Cathy was also helping Sarah keep Sora and Layla away until the party was ready. Meanwhile, Diane was in town strolling around town.

"It just feels...weird without Fiona." Diane said. Just then, she bumped into someone passing her by.

"Watch it sister." Diane said. When she saw who she bumped into, she gasped.

"Wait a minute. I know you." Diane said. Meanwhile, Sora and Layla sat patiently in the car as Cathy and Sarah drove them around town. But while Sora tried to enjoy herself, Layla tapped her foot.

"What is going on here? We're supposed to be training for the maneuver." Layla thought "Something fishy is going on here." For the time they were out, they visited the park and fed the birds. Then they visited the mall. All the while, Layla's suspicions grew by the minute.

"Look at this Sora. Isn't it just beautiful?" Sarah said. She was trying on a new dress and Sora liked it. But even she was wondering what was happening around her.

"Yes. This is good. Just as long as we don't spoil the party, things should be..." Sarah thought. But just then, she saw Layla staring at her.

"Sarah? Just what IS going on?" Layla said. Sora looked at her worried.

"Uh...nothing. Nothing at all." Sarah said. But Sarah and Cathy could both see Layla was starting to suspect something and they were speechless. Meanwhile, Marion was giving everyone invites to Sora and Layla's party. Johnathan was riding atop her head.

"Hey. This is cool. We'll be sure to come." Elena said. Jean and Claire were with her. Back at the stage, Anna and Mia were just hanging the banner up.

"OK. This ought to do it." Mia said. Just then, Yuri and Leon came in and saw them.

"Hello everyone. Are we too late?" Yuri said.

"If you mean helping for the party, you're not." Anna said. Later that day, Layla had enough of this and demanded Cathy bring her and Sora back to Kaleido Stage. Luckily, Mia had called her earlier and let them know they could come back.

"All right. All right. Calm down Layla." Cathy said. Layla looked at them very annoyed with her arms crossed. When they returned to Kaleido Stage, Cathy and Sarah brought them to the main stage. The lights were out and there was little vision.

"Uh...Sarah? Miss Cathy? What's going on?" Sora said. Suddenly, the lights on stage flashed on and Anna, Mia, Rosetta, Marion, Johnathan, Fiona, Ken, Elena, Jean, Clair, Emillio, Hannah, Barbara, May, Leon, Yuri and Kalos were seen on stage.

"Surprise!" they shouted. Sora and Layla were completely surprised.

"What? A...party?" Sora said. Marion nodded with a smile.

"Yeah. You guys have been working so hard that you deserve a day to yourselves!" Marion said. Johnathan barked happily and clapped his fins.

"Come on down you guys! Join in on the fun!" Anna said. Sora and Layla looked at each other and then at Sarah and Cathy. They both smiled and chuckled.

"We should have guessed." Layla said. Sora nodded and smiled.

"Well, we can't let their hard work go to waste. Come on Layla. Let's enjoy ourselves." Sora said. Layla nodded and the two descended down. When they reached the others, the party was in full swing. May performed some juggling in her wheelchair while Leon and Yuri performed together. Sarah sang some songs along with Marion and Johnathan. Sora and Layla clapped at their performances.

"Marion! Johnathan! Sarah! You guys are great!" Sora said. The three smiled and bowed. Rosetta performed her diabolo skills while Anna teamed with Hannah and Barbara for a few clown acts. Sora was pratically laughing her head off and Layla couldn't help but laugh as well. Fool was at the party as well since Rosetta invited him.

"Anna! You...You...You're making me laugh so hard!" Sora said. Fool smiled seeing Sora and Layla so happy. His crystal ball appeared and he saw their constellations within.

"Ah. I can see it. Sagittarius and Leo are shining brighter now than before. It seems that the Angelic Phoenix Dance...will be a truly marvelous sight. And for the new girl, Fiona, I see...a bright future before her as well." Fool said. Just then, he saw Diane's Scorpio along with someone else.

"Hmm? But what's this? It would appear...that Scorpio is not out of the fight just yet." Fool said.

**_END OF CHAPTER_**


	8. Ch 8: Our Amazing New Foe

**_Angels of the Trapeze: Sora and Layla_**

**_Chapter 8: Our Amazing New Foe_**

On a plane heading for the Circus Festival, Sora and Layla sat together with Sora closest to the window. All of their friends were on the plane with them including May. Sora and Layla were wearing their performance outfits. Sora's costume was quite like her Angel's Maneuver costume while Layla's seem liked a slimmer version of her Juliet costume. Layla had been quiet the entire time they were on the plane. Sora wondered what could be making Layla so quiet.

"Hey...Layla? Can I ask why you're so quiet?" Sora said. Layla's eyes shifted to Sora.

"Sora. When it's our turn to perform, will you truly be able to see it through?" Layla said. Sora gasped but she soon turned to a firm face.

"Of course I will Layla. It's just like what Donna told me. All the performers there have angel hearts. They are just hidden beneath all the competition." Sora said. Layla looked at Sora.

"And...do you believe Diane has an angel heart? After what she tried to do to you?" Layla said. Sora nodded.

"Yes. I know EVERYONE has an angel heart...no matter how they act on the outside." Sora said. Layla looked away and smiled.

"She's ready." Layla said. When Sora started talking about Diane, she remembered back to when Diane metioned the name "Cynthia" to Layla.

"Uhh...Layla? Can I ask you something else?" Sora said. Layla looked at her.

"Who is...Cynthia? Was she...your old partner?" Sora said. After that, Sora felt ridiculous asking that and turned away.

"Oh. I'm sorry Layla. Just pretend I never said anything." Sora said. From above, Fool watched them. When their plane arrived, the very first place they went to was their hotel to check in. After that, Sora and Layla walked over to the festival building. When they arrived, they stopped and stared at it.

"We're back Sora." Layla said. Sora nodded. Just then, Diane came up behind them.

"Hey you two. I see you came." Diane said. Sora and Layla looked back at Diane smiling.

"Huh? Diane?" Sora said.

"Don't worry. I've given up trying to best you guys. After a certain someone showed me how hard you two do things, I realize...that I'll never match you." Diane said. She looked at Fool hovering over Sora's shoulder. She could just see him faintly.

"Don't be ridiculous. We came to win and that INCLUDES beating them." someone said. It was Diane's new partner for the festival.

"And who is this?" Sora said. Layla smiled.

"Well, well, if it isn't you again. Came back for another try Tiffany?" Layla said. Tiffany growled.

"You listen to me Hamilton. I've been waiting a pretty long time for your butt to be back on the stage. After you and Yuri ruined me, I couldn't stand it." Tiffany said. Layla huffed.

"Just give it up Tiffany. What makes you think you could beat me? Or even Sora for that matter?" Layla said. Tiffany huffed.

"Because...Diane and I whipped up our own performance. We call it "The Devil Ballet". Do you like the sound of it?" Tiffany said. Sora gasped.

"Wait. What did you...call your maneuver?" Sora said. Tiffany walked off with a laugh. Diane followed behind her. Just then, Rosetta and the others came over.

"Hey Sora! We're here!" Rosetta called. Sora smiled and waved to them. Rosetta hugged Sora as the others gathered around.

"Well, this is it guys. Time to put all your hard work to good use." Mia said. Sora and Layla nodded.

"It's time to see just what this Angelic Phoenix Dance really is." Yuri said. Leon nodded.

"Good luck you two. We'll be rooting for you the entire time." Anna said.

"Yeah. And I'll be rooting for you the loudest Sora!" Rosetta said. Sora smiled. Just then, someone in a suit approached them.

"Hello Layla." he said. Layla looked back and gasped. It was her father.

"Father? What...What are you doing here?" Layla said. He chuckled.

"I heard the news about you coming back to the Circus Festival. Since I missed your last performance here, I wanted to make sure I came to this one. I hope that you give it your very best." he said. Layla smiled.

"Thank you...father." Layla said. Just then, Sora heard someone calling her name. She saw her parents and Yume.

"Mom?! Dad?!" Sora said. Anna and the others looked back as they approached.

"Hey. Those are Sora's parents? No way." Anna said. Fiona was surprised as well.

"Hello Sora. We came as soon as your boss called us." Midori said. Sora looked at Kalos and he looked away. From the distance, Sora saw someone rushing over.

"Sora!" he shouted. Sora could tell very well that was Jerry.

"Whoa! Mr. Policeman! Slow down! You're coming too...!" Sora said. But Jerry came over and hugged Sora tightly.

"Hey Sora. You didn't think I would miss your festival performance. Did you?" Jerry said. Kate joined Jerry with a chuckle.

"Come on now Jerry. Sora probably is going to pass out if you don't let go." Kate said. Jerry looked at Sora and let her go.

"Sorry Sora. I've been waiting for your next performance for a while." Jerry said. Sora smiled and moved some hair from her face.

"That's all right. I'm really glad you guys could come." Sora said. Jerry and the others smiled.

"You guys better get going. The festival is going to begin soon." Sarah said. Sora and Layla realized this and turned back towards the festival hall.

"All right then Sora. Let's go. We have a festival to win." Layla said. But from inside the hall, Diane and Tiffany watched everything that happened.

"Not while I'm here you won't. Not again." Tiffany said. She walked off as Diane followed.

"So, those are Naegino's adoptive parents? They're very nice people." Diane thought. While Diane thought of how this would probably turn out, evil thoughts were floating around in Tiffany's mind. When Sora and Layla arrived back stage, they saw all of the other performers.

"Well, here we are Sora." Layla said. Just like last time, Sora saw how everyone was acting. It seemed like an exact mirror of what happened last time when Sora attended the festival with Yuri.

"Hey. Is that...Layla Hamilton? She DID come after all!" a performer said. Another groaned.

"Oh man. With her and Naegino here, Kaleido Stage is just going to win again! We're doomed!" another said. Sora was a little nervous and Layla looked at her.

"Sora?" Layla said. Sora looked at her.

"I'm all right Layla. But don't worry. This doesn't bother me anymore. Like Donna said, everyone's angel heart is just hidden beneath." Sora said. Layla smiled. She was glad Sora wasn't feeling the same as she did at the last festival.

"All right then. Come on. We better get ready." Layla said. As Sora and Layla found some empty seats, they were in for a surprise.

"Hey. It's Sora and Miss Layla." someone said. Sora recognized the voice and looked. She saw Mute and Alice.

"Mute! Alice! You're here too? That's so great." Sora said. Mute and Alice sat with them.

"Hey Sora. Long time no see. You look so beautiful in that costume." Alice said. Sora looked at herself and blushed.

"Thank you Alice." Sora said. Mute and Alice smiled.

"We should say thanks too. We feel like a brand new team since we saw your Angel's Maneuver at Kaleido Stage." Mute said "And...we're very sorry about what we caused you last year." Sora looked at Alice and she nodded.

"Oh. That's all right guys. Good luck out there." Sora said. Mute and Alice nodded wishing them good luck as well. Layla was surprised to see Mute and Alice really changed because of Sora's performance in Swan Lake.

"Sora...you're a miracle worker." Layla thought. Meanwhile, in the audience, Sora's friends were taking their seats. Leon helped May into her seat and she sat down easily. May's leg was feeling much better and the doctor said she would be able to stand sooner than expected.

"This is going to be so great." Sarah said. Kalos sat by her side while Leon sat by May.

"Leon? Why did you REALLY decide to give our tickets to Sora in the first place?" May said. Leon looked at her and then away.

"Because...I felt Sora deserved what she should have truly earned." Leon said. May was a little confused.

"Well, I hope she wins this time." May said "They worked extra hard at it." As Anna and the others watched the stage, Sora's parents and Layla's father sat behind them.

"Wow. I didn't know so many people come out to this festival." Sora's father said. Marion was quite a bit sad that Johnathan couldn't come with her.

"Don't worry Marion. We'll tell Johnathan all about it when we go back to Kaleido Stage." Ken said. Marion said she would make sure they did. Meanwhile, as Layla was combing her hair, Sora was flexing her legs. Out on the stage, the announcer came onto the stage.

"Welcome all to this year's Circus Festival! We'll see some amazing and spectacular performances to see who will be the winners. And we have a special treat for you all!" he said "An old time performer, Layla Hamilton, has returned to the festival with her partner, Kaleido Stage's star Sora Naegino!" The crowd clapped loudly.

"Now then. Let's get this festival under way. Shall we? Let's welcome out our first performers!" he said. The first team arrived on stage and their performance began. Behind the curtains, Layla was still sprucing herself up. Sora went to the restroom and Fool stayed with Layla.

"Well, it's time Layla. Our new maneuver will soon become reality." Layla thought. Just then, another performer came up to her.

"Excuse me Miss Hamilton. There is a phone call for you." she said. Layla thanked her and went to answer it. But actually, the performer was doing a trick for Tiffany. In the hallway, Tiffany waited for Layla to come into the lobby.

"Now we've got you...Layla Hamilton." Tiffany said. Meanwhile, Sora came back after the third performance was seen.

"All right. I just need to remember that me and Layla are the last performers for the festival. And we're going to win it." Sora said. Just then, she saw something resting on the seat where Layla was sitting.

"Huh? What...What's this?" Sora said. Fool arrived at her side.

"Sora. It's Layla. She's in trouble." Fool said. Sora gasped and looked at what was on her seat. It was a folded note. She opened it and it read:

_Sora,_

_I need to talk to you about something. Meet me in the park as soon as you can._

_Layla_

Sora could easily tell this wasn't Layla's writing. But she began to grow worried.

"Layla? Layla?! Where's Layla?!" Sora said.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	9. Ch 9: The Amazing Angelic Phoenix Dance

**_Angels of the Trapeze: Sora and Layla_**

**_Chapter 9: The Amazing Angelic Phoenix Dance_**

Sora wasn't sure what to do. She wasn't sure if this was a trick or if this was real. She remembered that Yuri told her that those who attended the festival would go beyond being able to lie and cheat to win. Fool looked at his crystal ball.

"Sora. I see it. Sagittarius and Leo have been seperated. You must hurry and find Leo...before the Angelic Phoenix Dance's flame perishes." Fool said. Sora looked at the note completely worried. Just then, Mute and Alice were coming by.

"Sora? Is something wrong?" Alice said.

"Layla. She's missing! Have you guys seen her?!" Sora said. Mute and Alice looked at each other and then shook their heads sadly. Sora gasped and started leaking tears.

"No. Layla!" Sora said. She started rushing out to a pay phone and called Jerry's cell phone.

"Hmm? Hello? Sora?" Jerry said quietly. Another team was performing and he wanted to keep quiet.

"Mr. Policeman! I need your help! Layla's gone missing! I found a note saying she wants to see me at the park. But she must really have been kidnapped! I don't know what to do!" Sora said.

"Calm down Sora. I'm coming to help. Meet me outside as soon as you can." Jerry whispered. He hung up his phone and told everyone what happened.

"Then hurry Jerry. Sora needs Layla to perform the maneuver." Kate said. Jerry nodded and left.

"Things are not looking too good. I wonder if Miss Layla is all right." Fiona said. Meanwhile, Diane came back behind stage.

"All right. Now to find...huh?" Diane said. She looked around for Sora and Layla but didn't see either of them.

"Uh...where are Sora and Layla at?" Diane said. She heard someone chuckling. It was Tiffany.

"Tiffany? What's so funny?" Diane said. Tiffany chuckled again and looked at her.

"Isn't this just good? Now that Naegino and Hamilton are gone, we can perform our Demon Ballet without any worries at all." Tiffany said.

"Wait. What do you...?" Diane said. Just then, she saw the note at the table where Sora and Layla was. She looked at it and gasped.

"Tiffany. You didn't!" Diane said. Tiffany laughed.

"That's right. I planted that fake note after we kidnapped Miss Hamilton. Now Naegino is out looking for her "friend" as we speak." Tiffany said. Diane growled.

"What is with you?! I thought we agreed to attend the festival and enjoy ourselves. Sora and Layla were here to do the same!" Diane said. Tiffany chuckled.

"Look Diane. I hate to say it, but I only became your partner to win this thing. I didn't really have a care about your feelings or opinions about what I planned to do." Tiffany said. Diane gasped.

"I had a feeling this wouldn't work. And I'm sure of it. I'm going to have us drop out now." Diane said. But just as she was about to go out, Tiffany caught her.

"If you do, you might not see Fiona again." Tiffany said. Diane gasped.

"No. You wouldn't!" Diane said. Tiffany chuckled with an evil tone.

"Just TRY me." Tiffany said. Meanwhile, Sora and Jerry were hurrying into town to find Layla.

"Hey! Miss Hamilton! If you're here, answer us!" Jerry shouted.

"Layla! It's us! Sora and Mr. Policeman!" Sora shouted. But no matter how much they shouted, Layla didn't respond.

"Oh. Layla. Where are you?" Sora said. Jerry stopped for a minute to catch his breath.

"Come on Sora. She's got to be here somewhere. Where did that note say to meet you?" Jerry said. Sora gasped remembering the note.

"Oh! The note told me to meet Layla at the park! She must be there!" Sora said. With that in mind, Sora and Jerry hurried to the park. Meanwhile, the performers kept on coming. It would soon be Diane and Tiffany's turn. And Sora's friends haven't heard from her yet.

"What's going on? Why did Mr. Policeman take off like that?" Ken said.

"Didn't you hear? Layla's gone missing apparently." Sarah said. Just then, there were four others who arrived. They were Charlotte, Julie, Cathy and Makkoli.

"Charlotte? And Julie? Cathy too?" Mia said.

"Hey. We came to see Layla's performance with Sora. It's been a long time sine they were performing together. I hope we're not late." Charlotte said. May shook her head.

"No. Don't worry. They're the last ones performing today." Fiona said.

"That's good. I always wanted to see Sora and Layla perform together more." Cathy said. From the audience, Kalos looked at the stage with a firm face. He then stood up and went down to the back stage. No one saw Kalos enter but Sarah noticed his seat was empty the next time she looked. When Kalos went back stage, he saw Tiffany and Diane struggling.

"I should have known. I had a feeling this would be your work Diane." Kalos said. Diane saw Kalos and looked spooked.

"Kalos! Wait! This wasn't my doing! It was..." Diane said.

"It was MINE!" Tiffany said. Kalos looked at Tiffany.

"So it was you? Hmm. I know you. I heard about you from the last festival Layla attended. You tried to sabotage her and Yuri's performance. But in the end, it blew up in your face." Kalos said. Tiffany smiled.

"Well, this time it won't. Layla's gone and so is that little Naegino. Kaleido Stage won't win this year." Tiffany said. Meanwhile, Sora and Jerry arrived at the park and saw something. It was Layla out cold and tied to a tree!

"Ah! Layla!" Sora shouted. They hurried over and untied Layla. After a few seconds of Sora shaking her, Layla woke up dazed.

"S..Sora? You...shouldn't have come." Layla said. Sora shook her head with tears building.

"Layla. I...I couldn't. We're partners. And...I can't do the maneuver without the Golden Phoenix as my partner." Sora said. Layla saw Sora's smiling face and she smiled too. She sat up and looked out towards the town.

"Sora? You wanted to know who Cynthia was. Right?" Layla said. Sora looked a little surprised that Layla brought her back up.

"Well, I did. But if you rather not talk about her, then..." Sora said. Layla looked at Sora.

"Cynthia was the first friend I made on Kaleido Stage when I joined. Like me, she was a beginner with high dreams of becoming a Kaleido Star. She always supported me even in times that I felt I couldn't do something." Layla said "I owed a lot of my success to her." Sora couldn't believe Layla had someone she cared about so much at Kaleido Stage.

"Like Diane probably said, the two of us were inseperable. In fact, we shared the same bond that you have with Rosetta. Whenever I could do something, she always asked me to teach her." Layla said. A smile was coming to her face.

"Whenever I went on stage, I begged Kalos to have her as my partner. Things were perfect between us until that day when Yuri came to Kaleido Stage. For some reason, I saw him as a more capable partner and I slowly lost my friendship with Cynthia. Then, when I was mad at her, I told her to "disappear" from my life..." Layla said. Sora gasped.

"After that moment, she died when she and a friend were in a car crash. I felt so hurt inside...that I lost the ability to have fun performing. But...I got that back when I performed with you as my partner. In fact, when I asked you to be my dream, I wanted you to fufill Cynthia's dream as well. After she died, I promised that I would be the vessel for both of our dreams." Layla said. Sora was just about ready to cry.

"Oh Layla. I'm...so sorry." Layla said. Just then, someone called out to Layla. Layla looked ahead of her and gasped. It was a girl with yellow pig tails and teal green eyes. It was Cynthia!

"C..Cynthia?!" Layla said. Sora and Jerry looked at her freaked.

"Wait. She's WHO?!" Sora and Jerry said. Layla got right up and rushed to her. She hugged her tightly and they looked at each other.

"Cynthia! I don't understand! I thought...you died in that car crash!" Layla said. Cynthia smiled.

"Actually, when I went to the hospital and they wouldn't let you see me, I made it alive. You must have heard about another patient. After that, Kalos wanted me to spend a little time away from Kaleido Stage. I did...and I sort of enjoyed it TOO much. Sorry to worry you." Cynthia said. Suddenly, Layla looked ready to cry.

"Oh. I know that face. Come here Layla." Cynthia said. She and Layla hugged as Layla was beginning to cry. Just then, Sora saw Fool arrive on her shoulder.

"Sora. You and Layla must hurry back. Your performance is going to start any second." Fool said. Sora gasped and looked at a nearby clock.

"Oh man! Layla! Come on! The festival!" Sora shouted. Layla gasped and quickly joined Sora and Jerry in hurrying back. Cynthia followed behind them. Meanwhile, Diane and Tiffany were just going on stage.

"Well, it's their turn now. Let's see what Diane came up with." Anna said. As the two performed, Mia got an uneasy feeling.

"Wait a minute." Mia said "Those jumps...those moves..." Suddenly, Mia gasped.

"Cathy! Those two! They stole the Angelic Phoenix Dance!" Mia said. The others gasped.

"What?! Are you sure?" Sarah said. Cathy looked carefully.

"Yeah! That IS Sora and Layla's move! I recognize it right down to the marks!" Cathy said. Anna growled.

"Those thieves! When we had our party, they must have copied it off Mia's computer!" Anna said. But upon a closer look, Sarah saw Diane wasn't smiling like Tiffany.

"Then...why does Diane look so sad?" Sarah said.

"Huh? I...I don't know." Rosetta said. Ken still couldn't believe this was happening. Meanwhile, back stage, Sora and Layla arrived with Jerry and Cynthia.

"Good. We're not late!" Sora said. They saw Kalos by the curtain and looked. Sora and Layla gasped when they saw Diane and Tiffany performing their move.

"Hey! That's...That's OUR move!" Sora said "And they call that the Devil Ballet? This...can't be happening! Not again!" Layla wasn't about to let them get away with stealing the move they worked so hard on perfecting. In the audience, Layla's father and Sora's parents were extremely worried about all this. When Diane and Tiffany finished, the crowd applauded. And it sounded rather loud.

"Oh man. And the audience likes it!" Anna said.

"All right then. Thank you ladies. Now it's time for our final performers. Please welcome Sora Naegino and Layla Hamilton performing for Kaleido Stage!" the announcer said. The audience clapped but Sora and Layla were frozen from shock. Luckily, Jerry snapped them out of it and they rushed out. Tiffany saw them and gasped.

"What?! How...When did THEY get here?!" Tiffany said. Diane saw them and smiled.

"Hey look! They're back!" Rosetta said. Sora's friends cheered for Sora and Layla's return. Diane looked behind the curtain and saw Cynthia watching. She gasped.

"No way. I thought...she was dead." Diane said. Diane quickly went off stage and so did Tiffany. Now Sora's friends watched in anticipation.

"I guess they know...about the Devil Ballet. But now the REAL maneuver will appear." Cathy said. Mia nodded. The lights dimmed and a spotlight was seen on Sora and Layla. They stood together on a large trampoline with trapeze hanging above. They started to bounce upward straight as possible and everyone watched. Diane, Tiffany and the other performers watched from behind the curtain. Suddenly, Diane could see Fool's glitter orbit them.

"It is time ladies! Show the people of this audience the reason you were chosen to perform the Legendary Great Maneuver! It's time for the Angelic Phoenix Dance to sprout it's wings and soar with pride!" Fool said. With that, Sora and Layla made one big jump and pushed themselves off the trapeze and posed in the air.

"Here it comes!" Anna thought. Suddenly, Sora and Layla were posing beautifully in the light and they spun around. Their costumes changed and they suddenly had beautiful wings expanding from the back of their costumes. Sora had angel wings while Layla had fire red wings like a phoenix. The crowd awed in wonder.

"Amazing. Layla, you look...so magnificent." Yuri thought.

"Oh my goodness. Sora...looks so beautiful up there." Midori said. Sora's father nodded and Yume cooed. Layla's father was so amazed as well. When Sora and Layla started to descend, they landed on the trapeze and begun to jump from one trapeze to another. Based off the way they were moving inbetween jumps, they appeared to be dancing in mid air.

"Oh my gosh. That's...That's...I can't find the right words! I'm speechless!" May said. Leon couldn't believe his eyes either. Sora and Layla's faces were smiling so much that it felt as if they were emitting so much positive energy.

"Layla. Thank you. You are my phoenix." Sora said softly. Layla chuckled.

"Well then, if I am your phoenix, then you are my angel...Sora." Layla said softly. As they "danced" above the trapeze, Diane was just completely out of speech. Tiffany couldn't believe how amazing the Angelic Phoenix Dance was.

"No. No way. There's...There's no way this could be happening!" Tiffany said "It can't be true!" And another surpirse was Diane's face had a smile that reached both sides of her cheeks.

"Fool. Now I see. This is why they were the ones to perform the Legendary Great Maneuver. And I can feel it. Their bond as partners go far beyond anything I ever seen. They ARE true Kaleido Stars...both of them." Diane thought. Suddenly, Rosetta was getting a weird feeling coming over her.

"Whoa. Suddenly, I'm feeling weird again." Rosetta said. The others looked at her.

"I just...want to perform..." Rosetta said. Suddenly, Rosetta started heading for the stage and leaped on stage with them. She jumped on the trampoline and grabbed the trapeze. Sora and Layla couldn't believe seeing Rosetta on stage with them.

"Sora! Miss Layla!" Rosetta shouted. Sora and Layla smiled and they continued performing. From behind the curtain, Kalos and Jerry watched everything. Cynthia was so amazed that Layla could really perform this spectacular.

"Wow. If Layla can do all this, how long...have I been gone for?" Cynthia said. Suddenly, all of Sora's other friends, including Yuri and Leon, had the same feeling come over them too. And in no time at all, Sora saw her other friends on stage with them performing along with Charlotte, Julie and Makkoli.

"Huh? When did they get here?" Layla thought when she saw them. But to her, it didn't matter. Suddenly, Layla was starting to realize what was going on. In her mind, all she pictured was what happened near the end of Sora's first Swan Lake performance. Sora and Layla's performance was causing the same thing to happen.

"It...It can't be." Tiffany said. Suddenly, to no surprise, everyone else who competed in the festival including Mute and Alice went on stage with them. And Diane, Fiona and Cynthia joined in as well. Kalos was feeling pretty proud of himself right now.

"I knew it. Their energy is so pure...that it re-creates the same effect that the Angel's Maneuver had on the performers at Kaleido Stage. I knew they could do this." Kalos thought. Given the time Sora and Layla were performing together, they seemed to be able to just glide through the sky without the trapeze. Sora and Layla decided to finish their show. But before they did, they saw the smile that they brought to Diane's face.

"Fool. If you can hear me, thank you. I've seen the true light. This is what performing truly is." Diane thought with tears coming to her eyes. Just then, she saw Fool appear in front of her and bow. She started to cry.

"Does...this mean...?" Diane thought. Fool looked at her with a smile on his face. After Fool moved off stage, Sora and Layla both grabbed the nearest trapeze. And at the same time, they both pulled off an Angel's Maneuver along with a Golden Phoenix and they posed when their paths crossed with each other. The entire audience was just speechless.

"Now I see. THAT is why it's called the Angelic Phoenix Dance." May thought "It's just like...how the story ends." When Sora and Layla landed on a trapeze together, they hugged each other with smiles on their faces. And in the crowd, the audience started applauding slowly after Sarah and Cathy were the first ones clapping. Soon, the applause sounded much louder than Diane and Tiffany's Devil Ballot.

"I think it's official ladies and gentlemen! The winners of this year's Circus Festival are...Sora Naegino and Layla Hamilton of Kaleido Stage!" the announcer shouted. After that, the applause was so much louder. Behind the curtain and on stage, Jerry, Kalos, Diane and all the other performers were clapping for Sora and Layla. All were there except for Tiffany.

"Curse you Hamilton. You've beaten me again." Tiffany thought. She left without another word. During the awards ceremony, Sora and Layla were seen on stage together with Layla holding the trophy.

"Thank you everyone! Thank you!" Sora said. Just then, Layla turned to Sora and gave her the trophy. Sora looked at her confused.

"But...Layla. I thought..." Sora said. Layla smiled and shook her head.

"No Sora. You won this time. It's only natural that the trophy should go to you." Layla said. Suddenly, Sora's eyes began to fill with tears. She put the trophy down and hugged Layla tightly in her arms. Layla smiled and hugged her.

"Layla. Thank you...for everything." Sora said crying. When Sora and the others returned to Kaleido Stage, they had a huge party in their honor along with Sora's parents and Layla's father. Sora and Layla smiled together for a picture while Sora held the trophy in her hands. And even more good news came when Kalos announced Diane and Cynthia would be joining Kaleido Stage as well.

"Wow. That's great. Congratulations!" Sora said. Diane and Cynthia smiled. Layla figured a great victory should have an even better reward. Sora knew what she meant. Sora and Layla were soon performing together on the main stage with nothing but smiles on their faces. Suddenly, Fiona gasped. Right in front of her, she saw Fool!

"What the?! What...What's this thing? Diane? Help!" Fiona said. She then rushed to Diane's side as Fool watched Sora and Layla. His crystal ball showed their constellations together.

"And so it has been done. The Angelic Phoenix Dance's wings have sprouted and their performance took flight. In fact, I am beginning to see...an even brighter future awaiting Leo." Fool said.

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_


	10. Ch EXTRA: A Phoenix's Amazing Rebirth

**_Angels of the Trapeze: Sora and Layla_**

**_Chapter EXTRA: An Phoenix's Amazing Rebirth_**

The next day, Sora and Layla were in a television show for an interview. The filming took place in Kaleido Stage and Sora and Layla sat besides other patiently. Both of them were in their costumes from their festival performance.

"All right everyone. Get ready. "People of Our Time: The Circus Festival Winners - Sora Naegino and Layla Hamilton". Take one." a man said. The hostess adjusted her hair and smiled. Sora looked at Layla nervously.

"So...what am I supposed to do?" Sora said. Layla smiled.

"Keep your eyes on the hostess and you'll be fine." Layla said. Sora stuttered and sat up straight.

"OK. Action!" the man said.

"Miss Hamilton, it was a truly marvelous thing for you to return to the festival as a performer. How did it feel to be performing with Kaleido Stage star Sora Naegino after all this time?" the hostess asked.

"Well, it was both a lot of hard work and fun. It's been a while since Sora and I performed on stage together." Layla said. Sora nodded.

"Yeah. I was really happy to be working with Layla again. The two of us haven't been on the same stage since she asked me to be in her broadway show, Salome in Vegas." Sora said. The hostess chuckled.

"The last time you two performed on such a large stage was when you did the Legendary Great Maneuver. Which of the two do you think was more harder for you to do?" the hostess said.

"Well, I would have to say the Legendary Great Maneuver took more out of us." Sora said.

"That's right. Compared to that, the Angelic Phoenix Dance was easier to train for since we created the maneuver ourselves." Layla said. From afar, Sora's friends watched their interview. Diane, Fiona, Charlotte, Julie and Makkoli were watching as well.

"Sora's getting a lot better with these interviews." Ken said. May agreed. After all the time during the festival, May's leg was completely healed and she could stand again. In Rosetta's mind, she could still picture Sora and Layla's maneuver at the festival.

"Those two...are just so amazing. They did the Legendary Great Maneuver and now they accomplished their Angelic Phoenix Dance." Yuri said. Leon smiled.

"So, what awaits you Miss Hamilton now that the festival is over?" the hostess said. Sora waited to hear Layla's response just when Kalos appeared.

"Huh? Kalos?" Layla said. The camera man turned his lense to Kalos.

"Didn't she tell anyone yet? I guess I will. Miss Layla Hamilton will be making her grand return to Kaleido Stage after their comeback performance which we call "The Angel and the Phoenix" based off their maneuver." Kalos said. Everyone gasped including Layla.

"Miss Hamilton! Is it true you're returning to Kaleido Stage?" she said. The camera turned to Layla and she was sitting there stuttering. But her stutter ended when she heard Sora clapping.

"Layla. That's so great!" Sora said. Soon, the others started clapping as well. Layla chuckled with an embarrassed tone in her voice. After the interview, Layla was in Kalos' office mad.

"Why did you say that Kalos? I never planned on returning to Kaleido Stage." Layla said. Kalos chuckled.

"What? You think I would say something that wasn't true? It was all over your face during training Layla." Kalos said. Layla growled.

"I agreed that I'd perform in the comeback show with Sora. But that was it." Layla said. Kalos turned his glare to Layla with a smile.

"Oh really? Why not make a little friendly bet then? If your comeback show with Sora can make the entire crowd cheer louder than you can think, you'll stay. If not, you can go back to Broadway. Deal?" Kalos said. Layla smiled.

"Deal." Layla said. She and Kalos shook hands to make it official. Later that day, Kalos called Sora and Mia to his office. Layla stayed to listen to what Kalos wanted to tell them.

"Girls? I want this comeback performance to be unlike anything we've done before. Feel up to the challenge?" Kalos said. Layla explained their little bet and Sora agreed to it along with Mia. Kalos said that Sora could invite anyone she knew to join in the performance as well.

"Really? You mean other performers?" Sora said. Kalos chuckled.

"I literally meant "anyone" Sora." Kalos said. Sora smiled thinking she had some perfect choices in mind. She sent invites to be apart of the show to Donna, Mute and Alice, her friends at Theatrical Camp as well as Manami, Sayaka and Miki. They were all thrilled to be apart of Sora's show and quickly accepted their invites. When everyone arrived together, Kalos announced the show concept to everyone.

"If you're not aware of the story, then I would advise you all to take the time to read the story if you get the chance. It might help you understand your character more. I would like to thank May especially for having a copy of this book." Mia said. May smiled and everyone clapped.

"All right everyone. Our performance will begin in a week from now. So I expect everyone to be giving it their best in training. You are dismissed!" Kalos said. Everyone nodded and the next day, their training began. Kalos secretly told everyone about his bet with Layla and they made sure to make the crowd applaud as loud as possible. In the training hall, Manami and friends were learning how to dance elegantly.

"Whoa. This is...trickier than it looks." Manami said "Why did you want us to be in the show with you again Sora? We can't perform like you." Sora chuckled.

"What? I thought my friends should be apart of the show as well." Sora said. Miki and Sayaka were getting a bit dizzy from the training. While they trained in dancing, Anna, Hannah and Barbara were praticing their jokes as well. Marion and Johnathan were training out by the pool since Marion was casted as a young mermaid.

"Come on Johnathan! Let's jump higher!" Marion said. Johnathan barked happily and they contined to jump out of the water. Sarah and Donna were praticing their vocals since they would be singing a little bit. Charlotte, Julie and Makkoli were training on the trapeze.

"It's been a while since I've used the trapeze." Charlotte said. Julie nodded.

"But we can't dissapoint Layla. Let's keep going." Charlotte said. On the ground below, Elena, Jean, Clair and Emillio were praticing their routines as well. The Theatrical Camp group were there as well. Tank was juggling Mila and Milo while Pamela, Mute and Alice practiced their trampoline maneuvers.

"I have a feeling this show is going to be HUGE. I like the way you think Sora." Pamela thought. May, Cynthia and Diane were waiting patiently for the trapeze.

"Hey! Can you guys hurry it up?! We need to train too!" May shouted. Diane calmed her down.

"Come on May. Be lucky that you're apart of such a large performance." Diane said.

"Yeah. Just take it easy." Cynthia said. Fiona and Rosetta were training on another set of trapeze since they would be partners in the show.

"Let's make this show the best we can Fiona. For Sora and Miss Layla." Rosetta said. Fiona nodded confidently. Leon and Yuri trained on the actual stage trapeze due to all the others performing.

"Isn't this something Leon? All of us together for one grand performance. I don't know about you, but I can't wait." Yuri said. Leon felt the same way. Jean was hard at work making some of the stage props with Ken supervising along with a few of his fellow stage hands.

"This is going to be the greatest show we've ever had on Kaleido Stage. And if we play our cards right, Layla won't be going anywhere for a LONG time." Jean said. Fool was happy to see everyone working hard on it. In his crystal ball, he saw Leo all alone.

"Because of the bet Leo has made, she wants to just perform the show and leave. But...is that truly what Leo wants? Or is she hiding something from her friends?" Fool said "Only Sagittarius can find out for sure." Meanwhile, Sora and Layla were in the training room tuning some points on their festival winning maneuver.

"I have to make this the greatest show ever. If we want Layla to stay at Kaleido Stage, we have to give it our all!" Sora thought. In the room as well was Cathy and Mia.

"Hey Mia? Shouldn't you be practicing for your role? You're in the show as well." Cathy said. Mia was just making sure Sora and Layla's training was going smoothly.

"Just leave watching these two to me." Cathy said. Mia nodded and left. Cathy turned to Layla with a smile.

"Hey Layla. I wouldn't be considering leaving. By the way everyone is, we may be stuck here." Cathy said. Layla was feeling the same way. For the rest of the week, training went on with everyone working hard. And when the big day came, they were ready. Sora's parents came to see it along with Anna's parents, Mia's parents and grandmother as well as Layla's father. Kalos was glad to see there was such a big turn out. Ken was by Kalos' side.

"Now to see if our hard work pays off." Ken said. In the audience, they saw some of the performers from the festival as well as their other friends. Kalos joined Mr. Kenneth in the audience. Just then, the lights on stage went on and there were Sora and Layla dressed as colored eggs. They jumped around on the trampolines while being joined by three other performers. With one last high jump, Sora and Layla's costumes broke open into their outfits from the festival. Everyone clapped.

"And now it's scene four. The part where the angel and phoenix meet their other new born friends." Cathy thought. The other three performers left and Sora and Layla were joined by Mia, Rosetta, Fiona, Marion, Johnathan and Donna. On the trapeze above were Leon and Yuri. On stage, all of Sora's friends were performing on the trampoline with smiles.

"Wow. Everyone sure is having fun up there." May said from behind the curtain. The crowd seemed to be enjoying themselves. After Sora and her friends divided, the stage changed to the town watched over by the angel and phoenix.

"Scene nine. Here comes Anna and Manami's groups." Mia said. On stage, Manami, Sayaka and Miki were dancing with some male performers dressed in beautiful dresses. Others rode hand in hand on unicycles while Anna was on stage with Hannah and Barbara.

"Wow. Look at your friends Sora. They're absolutely beautiful." Sarah said. Sora nodded. Manami saw Sora off the corner of her eye and winked.

"Good job you guys." Sora whispered. After that, the next scene was when the circus performers came to town. On stage was the group from Theatrical Camp alongside Mute and Alice. Tank juggled with his barrels while Pamela took to the trapeze. Mila, Milo and Dominique bounced on the trampoline while Mr. Pack juggled.

"My. You put everything into this performance, didn't you Kalos?" Mr. Kenneth said. Kalos chuckled and told him to keep watching. On another trampoline, Mute and Alice jumped together while Dio struck roses in their hands with his whip. The petals scattered across the stage.

"I haven't had this much fun in a while now." Dio thought. Meanwhile, May and Diane were getting their roles ready.

"All right May. Let's do this. It's our turn now." Diane said. May nodded and they grabbed the nearby trapeze once Layla and Sora returned. The music on stage changed to a darker theme and the lights dimmed below.

"And now we're at scene fifthteen. This is where the devil attacks the phoenix!" Marion said. Layla gasped and she started to avoid Diane's "attacks" on the trapeze.

"The devil has no heart. All he wants is power and absolute control. And the only way he can gain that...is by bringing down the phoenix AND the angel!" Diane thought. In the crowd, Diane's parents came to see her peform. And they were actually impressed with how she performed.

"That's...That's our Diane?" her mother said. With one last swing of her dark sword, Layla screamed and dropped from the trapeze. She fell into the darkened ground as many other performers in demon costumes came at Sora.

"All right. Scene changes to the Dark World next." Mia said. As Sora performed to get away, the other demon performers were in "fights" with her friends Mia, Fiona, Rosetta and Marion.

"The phoenix has fallen, thus the sun's lights have died and darkness engulfs the town. Meanwhile, the angel searches endlessly for her fallen friend in hopes of reviving the sun." Cathy thought "Luckily, in admist of all the chaos, the angel meets the daughters of Aries. Fiona? Rosetta? I'm counting on you here." Rosetta and Fiona joined Sora.

"All right guys. You ready?" Sora whispered.

"Yeah." Rosetta and Fiona whispered.

"Angelic Dive!" they shouted together. Holding one of Sora's hands, Fiona and Rosetta launched Sora in a small spiral and she caught the trapeze. Fiona and Rosetta jumped to the bar ahead ready for Sora to follow them. Sora leaped to their bar and caught it. In the audience applauding was Rosetta's mother.

"Rosetta..." she thought. Sora sprang off towards the next with Rosetta and Fiona watching with smiles. But they changed to frightened faces when May arrived on Sora's trapeze bar!

"And now it's time for the duel. The devil's most experienced minion catches the angel mid flight." Kalos thought. On the bar, May laughed in an evil tone.

"So little angel. You DARE to challenge my master's powers?! Then you must best me in a duel! Prepare to lose your wings!" May said. Sora accepted May's challenge and May smiled. She leaped back to another trapeze and Sora joined her. Together, they performed the Eternal Illusion and May leaped to the next trapeze.

"Well, you have talent little angel. But take this! Demon Spiral!" May shouted. She leaped at Sora with a dagger in both hands. But she missed and she descended towards the ground. Sora reached her arm down and caught her with her legs hanging on the bar.

"You...You saved me?" May said. Sora smiled and May smiled.

"Very well. I shall let you pass." May said. Holding onto May, they descended down to the darkened ground. Two more performers in demon costumes arrived. But they were stopped when they heard Sarah and Donna on stage together. The ground beneath lit up and Sora was holding Layla's head in her hand and holding her with her other. May watched from afar looking worried.

"No. My friend. Please...wake up." Sora said. Sora was crying real tears in her eyes and Sora's parents almost did the same.

"Just watching those two perform like this...it makes me want to cry." Rosetta thought. She was holding back her tears. On stage, Sarah and Donna approached Sora. They gave her a bottle and Sora let Layla drink from it. Her eyes opened up and Layla saw Sora's face.

"My angel..." Layla said softly. Sora smiled and they hugged each other tightly. The crowd started to applaud as Diane arrived on one of the trapeze. Sora and Layla stood up and looked around. Just then, Sarah began to sing and a set of trampolines appeared behind her.

"And now it's time. The Angelic Phoenix Dance." Mia thought. Suspense filled the room as Sora and Layla hopped onto the trampolines and begun bouncing.

"All right Layla. This is it. I'm going to make them applaud so loud that none of us will be able to hear ourselves." Sora said. Layla smiled.

"Try your best Sora." Layla said. Just then, Fool once again appeared before them.

"The strength of Leo combined with the shimmering light of Sagittarius! Alone they are nothing, but together...they are unmatched by all!" Fool said "Go forth and don't stop until all you can hear is applause!" Sora and Layla leaped up high together and Sora pushed off Rosetta's bar while Layla pushed off Diane's bar.

"Let your wings expand and fly towards the heavens!" Fool said. Sora and Layla went up so high that they were nothing but shadows in the lights. Suddenly, Sora and Layla expanded their wings and the audience applauded.

"Now, Layla, it's time for the REAL show to begin." Sora thought. Without even looking at the bars, Sora and Layla performed their dancing across the bars just like at the festival. But this time, they shined even more brightly than before. Joining them on stage were several other performers in phoenix and angel costumes. Among them were Elena, Jean, Clair, Mute and Alice, Charlotte, Julie and Makkoli.

"Amazing. I still can't believe that she is really OUR little Sora." Midori said. Layla's father was smiling as he watched Layla perform.

"Layla, you're still the beautiful star I always have seen you as." he thought. On stage, Diane started to perform with them.

"It's funny. I always thought a maneuver was just something for me to master. And when I did it, I always kept doing it the same way. No wonder they were mad at me last time. I always thought I was the best star on the stage." Diane said. Her eyes shifted to Sora and Layla.

"But when I see those two perform, I feel like a fool. Their performances together make mine seem like nothing." Diane thought. Soon, the same effect that captivated Rosetta had effected everyone who performed in the show and they returned to perform together.

"Whoa! I feel...weird. How could I feel this way?" Manami said. From high up, Layla could see everyone performing together again and she gasped.

"It's...amazing. I never thought...that our maneuver could really do all that. Sora. I have a feeling...that Kalos has won." Layla thought. Just then, Fool appeared in front of her and bowed.

"I'm not finished here yet. Am I?" Layla thought. As Fool vanished, he smiled and said "I have a feeling...we'll be seeing each other a lot more Layla..." After that, Sora and Layla finished their maneuver and landed on a bar together. As they held each other in their arms, their wings shined in the light. And when the applause came, it was twice as loud as what they heard at the festival. Layla couldn't even hear herself think.

"Sora? I have a feeling...I'm not going anywhere." Layla whispered. Sora smiled with tears in her eyes and hugged Layla tighter. Fool smiled as he watched their show finished. Kalos invited Sora's friends to stay for the other performances and they decided to stick around.

"I guess since Layla's staying...I will as well." Cathy said. She looked at Layla and smiled with a wink.

"And Sora? I look forward to our future performances together." Layla said. Sora looked at Layla and she smiled.

"Yeah. I do too...Layla..." Sora said. The two hugged as the sun started to set behind Kaleido Stage.

**_THE END_**


End file.
